Cranial nerves

Cranial nerves are a set of twelve nerves that originate directly from the brain. They are responsible for transmitting information between the brain and different parts of the body, specifically the head and neck region.

Anatomy

The twelve cranial nerves, in order from I to XII are: the olfactory nerve, the optic nerve, the oculomotor nerve, the trochlear nerve, the trigeminal nerve, the abducens nerve, the facial nerve, the vestibulocochlear nerve, the glossopharyngeal nerve, the vagus nerve, the accessory nerve, and the hypoglossal nerve.

Function

Each cranial nerve has a specific function related to the sense of smell, sight, eye movement, feeling in the face, hearing, balance, taste, swallowing, and control of the neck and shoulder muscles.

Clinical significance

Damage to the cranial nerves can result in loss of function and can be caused by a variety of factors such as infection, trauma, neoplasm, stroke, and multiple sclerosis.

See also

• Peripheral nervous system
• Nervous system
• Neuroanatomy

References

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