Domains & Types » Medicine » Cranial nerve

Cranial nerve

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Cranial nerves are nerves that emerge directly from the brain in contrast to spinal nerves which emerge from segments of the spinal cord. Conventionally, there are twelve recognized cranial nerves in humans. The nerves from the third onward arise... more

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Cranial nerves Cranial nerves Nerve
Cranial nerves are nerve that emerge directly from the brain in contrast to spinal nerve which emerge from segments of the spinal cord. Although thirteen cranial nerves in humans fit this description, twelve are conventionally recognized. The nerves...
Anatomical structure
Vagus nerve Nerve
The vagus nerve (VĀ-gəs) (also called pneumogastric nerve or cranial nerve X) is the tenth of twelve paired cranial nerves, and is the only nerve that starts in the brainstem (within the medulla oblongata) and extends, through the jugular foramen,...
Anatomical structure
Optic nerve Nerve
The optic nerve, also called cranial nerve II, is the nerve that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. The optic nerve is the second of twelve paired cranial nerve but is considered to be part of the central nervous system as...
Anatomical structure
Olfactory nerve Nerve
The olfactory nerve, or cranial nerve I, is the first of twelve cranial nerve. The specialized olfactory receptor neuron of the olfactory nerve are located in the olfactory mucosa of the upper parts of the nasal cavity. The olfactory nerves do not...
Anatomical structure
Abducent nerve Nerve
The abducens nerve (the sixth cranial nerve, also called the sixth nerve or simply VI) is a “somatic efferent” nerve that controls the movement of a single muscle, the lateral rectus muscle of the eye. Homologous abducens nerves are found in all...
Anatomical structure
Facial nerve Nerve
The facial nerve is the seventh (VII) of twelve paired cranial nerves. It emerges from the brainstem between the pons and the medulla, and controls the muscles of facial expression, and taste to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. It also...
Anatomical structure
Oculomotor nerve Nerve
The oculomotor nerve is the third of twelve paired cranial nerves. It controls most of the eye's movements, constriction of the pupil, and maintains an open eyelid. (Note: cranial nerves IV and VI also participate in control of eye movement.) The...
Anatomical structure
Trochlear nerve Nerve
The trochlear nerve (the fourth cranial nerve, also called the fourth nerve or simply IV) is a motor nerve (a “somatic efferent” nerve) that innervates a single muscle: the superior oblique muscle of the eye. An older name is pathetic nerve, which...
Anatomical structure
Trigeminal nerve Nerve
The trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve, also called the fifth nerve or simply V) is responsible for sensation in the face. Sensory information from the face and body is processed by parallel pathways in the central nervous system. The fifth...
Anatomical structure
Vestibulocochlear nerve Nerve
The vestibulocochlear nerve (also known as the auditory or acoustic nerve) is the eighth of twelve cranial nerves, and is responsible for transmitting sound and equilibrium (balance) information from the inner ear to the brain. This is the nerve...
Anatomical structure
Glossopharyngeal nerve Nerve
The glossopharyngeal nerve is the ninth of twelve pairs of cranial nerves. It exits the brainstem out from the sides of the upper medulla, just rostral (closer to the nose) to the vagus nerve. There are a number of functions of the glossopharyngeal...
Anatomical structure
Accessory nerve Nerve
In anatomy, the accessory nerve is a nerve that controls specific muscle of the neck. As a part of it was formerly believed to originate in the brain, it is considered a cranial nerve. Based on its location relative to other such nerves, it is...
Anatomical structure
Hypoglossal nerve Nerve
The hypoglossal nerve is the twelfth cranial nerve (XII), leading to the tongue. The nerve arises from the hypoglossal nucleus and emerges from the medulla oblongata in the preolivary sulcus separating the olive and the pyramid. It then passes...
Anatomical structure
Mandibular nerve Nerve
The mandibular nerve (V) is the largest of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve. It is made up of two roots: The two roots (sensory and motor) exit the middle cranial fossa through the foramen ovale. The two roots then combine. The nerve...
Anatomical structure
Supraorbital nerve   Nerve
The supraorbital nerve is a terminal branch of the frontal nerve. It passes through the supraorbital foramen, and gives off, in this situation, palpebral filaments to the upper eyelid. It then ascends upon the forehead, and ends in two branches,...
Anatomical structure
Inferior alveolar nerve Nerve
The inferior alveolar nerve (sometimes called the inferior dental nerve) is a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself the third branch (V3) of the fifth cranial nerve, the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V). Before traversing the...
Anatomical structure
Recurrent laryngeal nerve Nerve
The recurrent (inferior) laryngeal nerve is a branch of the vagus nerve (tenth cranial nerve) that supplies motor function and sensation to the larynx (voice box). It travels within the endoneurial sheath. It is referred to as "recurrent" because...
Anatomical structure
Otic ganglion Nerve
The otic ganglion is a small, ovalshaped, flattened parasympathetic ganglion of a reddish-gray color, located immediately below the foramen ovale in the infratemporal fossa. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck. (The...
Anatomical structure
Pterygopalatine ganglion Nerve
The pterygopalatine ganglion (or sphenopalatine ganglion) is a parasympathetic ganglion found in the pterygopalatine fossa. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck. (The others are the submandibular ganglion, otic ganglion,...
Anatomical structure
Auriculotemporal nerve Nerve
The auriculotemporal nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve that runs with the superficial temporal artery and vein, and provides sensory innervation to various regions on the side of the head. The auriculotemporal nerve arises as two roots from...
Anatomical structure
Chorda tympani Nerve
The chorda tympani is a nerve that branches from the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) inside the facial canal, just before the facial nerve exits the skull via the stylomastoid foramen. Chorda tympani is a branch of the facial nerve (the seventh...
Anatomical structure
Alderman's nerve Nerve
The auricular branch of the vagus nerve is often termed the Alderman's nerve or Arnold's nerve. The latter name is an eponym for Friedrich Arnold. It arises from the jugular ganglion, and is joined soon after its origin by a filament from the...
Anatomical structure
Ciliary ganglion Nerve
The ciliary ganglion is a parasympathetic ganglion located in the posterior orbit. It measures 1–2 millimeter in diameter and contains approximately 2,500 neuron. Preganglionic axon from the Edinger-Westphal nucleus form synapse with these cell. The...
Anatomical structure
Buccal nerve Nerve
The buccal nerve is a nerve in the face. It is a branch of the mandibular nerve (which is itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve) and transmits sensory information from skin over the buccal membrane (in general, the cheek) and from the second and...
Anatomical structure
Great petrosal nerve Nerve
The greater petrosal nerve is a nerve in the skull that branches from the facial nerve; it forms part of a chain of nerves that innervates the lacrimal gland. The fibres have synapses in the pterygopalatine ganglion. The greater petrosal nerve is a...
Anatomical structure
Cochlear nerve Nerve
The cochlear nerve (also auditory nerve or VIIIth nerve) is part of the vestibulocochlear nerve, (or 8th cranial nerve) that is found in higher vertebrates. It is a sensory nerve, i.e., one that conducts information about the environment (in this...
Anatomical structure
Vestibular nerve Nerve
The vestibular nerve is one of the two branches of the Vestibulocochlear nerve (the cochlear nerve being the other). It goes to the semicircular canals via the vestibular ganglion. It receives positional information. Axons of the vestibular nerve...
Anatomical structure
Maxillary nerve Nerve
The maxillary nerve (superior maxillary nerve) is a sensory cranial nerve which comprises the principal functions of sensation from the maxillary, nasal cavity, sinuses, the palate and subsequently that of the mid-face, and is intermediate, both in...
Anatomical structure
Ophthalmic nerve Nerve
The ophthalmic nerve is one of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth cranial nerve. Like the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve, the ophthalmic branch carries sensory fibers only. The ophthalmic nerve passes through the...
Anatomical structure
Nasociliary nerve Nerve
The nasociliary nerve is a branch of the ophthalmic nerve. It is intermediate in size between the two other main branches of the ophthalmic nerve, the frontal nerve and the lacrimal nerve, and is more deeply placed. The nasociliary nerve enters...
Anatomical structure