Cranial Nerves Flashcards

Study Notes

Cranial Nerves Overview

There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves, each with specific functions related to sensory, motor, or mixed modalities.
Each nerve innervates particular body regions and structures.

Cranial Nerves Listing

Olfactory: Sensory; responsible for the sense of smell. Originates from the olfactory epithelium and terminates in the primary olfactory cortex.
Optic: Sensory; responsible for vision. Arises from the retina, passes through the optic canal, and terminates at the thalamus and primary visual cortex.
Oculomotor: Motor; controls eye movement, eyelid elevation, pupil constriction, and lens shape. Originates from the midbrain.
Trochlear: Motor; directs eyeball movements. Fibers originate from the midbrain and enter the orbits.
Trigeminal: Mixed; provides sensory innervation to the face and motor innervation to chewing muscles.
Abducens: Motor; innervates the lateral rectus muscle responsible for abducting the eyeball. Originates from the pons.
Facial: Mixed; controls facial expressions, and autonomic impulses to lacrimal and salivary glands, and provides taste sensation.
Vestibulocochlear: Sensory; has two divisions—vestibular (balance) and cochlear (hearing). Originates from the inner ear.
Glossopharyngeal: Mixed; innervates part of the tongue and pharynx and provides taste sensation. Emerges from the medulla.
Vagus: Mixed; extends beyond the head and neck, supplying parasympathetic fibers to heart, lungs, and visceral organs. Also associated with taste from viscera.
Accessory: Motor; innervates muscles of the larynx, pharynx, soft palate, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid. Passes through the jugular foramen.
Hypoglossal: Motor; innervates muscles of the tongue, contributing to swallowing and speech. Originates from the medulla.

Key Functional Details

Sensory nerves transmit sensory information only (Olfactory, Optic, Vestibulocochlear).
Motor nerves control muscle actions (Oculomotor, Trochlear, Abducens, Accessory, Hypoglossal).
Mixed nerves contain both sensory and motor fibers (Trigeminal, Facial, Glossopharyngeal, Vagus).

Description

Test your knowledge on the 12 pairs of cranial nerves through these flashcards. Identify their sensory, motor, or mixed functions, and the body regions they innervate. Perfect for students studying neuroanatomy!