Final answer:
The great sensory nerve of the face and head is the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for cutaneous sensations and controlling mastication muscles. It is one of the cranial nerves that provide sensory information comparable to spinal nerves for the rest of the body.
Step-by-step explanation:
The great sensory nerve of the face and head is the trigeminal nerve (D. trigeminal). This nerve is responsible for carrying the general somatic senses from the head, which include cutaneous sensations such as touch, pain, and temperature. It is also involved in controlling the muscles for mastication. The trigeminal nerve is one of the cranial nerves which serve the head and neck, and in terms of its sensory role, it is comparable to how spinal nerves carry somatosensory information from the rest of the body.
Other cranial nerves like the olfactory nerve is for the sense of smell, the optic nerve for vision, and the vestibulocochlear nerve for hearing and balance. Nerves like the facial and the glossopharyngeal carry taste sensation as well as control salivary glands. The oculomotor nerve is responsible for eye movements, lifting the upper eyelid, and pupillary constriction, whereas the trochlear and the abducens nerves are primarily involved in eye movements. The hypoglossal nerve is tasked with controlling the muscles of the lower throat and tongue, which include functions for speech and swallowing.