HomeBiologyTwelve Cranial Nerves and their Functions

Top

Twelve Cranial Nerves and their Functions

Introduction to twelve cranial nerves and their functions
Cranial nerves directly arise from brain and are conventionally numbered by roman numerals. Out of
12 pairs of cranial nerves, afferent nerves arise from motor nuclei with in brain and the efferent
cranial nerves arise in sensor ganglion along the course of nerve, out side the brain.

Twelve Types of Cranial Nerves and Functions

Olfactory I: This sensory cranial nerve located in olfactory bulb of brain and has olfactory receptors
for sense of smell.
Optic Nerve II: This sensory cranial nerve leads from eyes to thalamus. It is responsible for sense of
sight of retina.
Oculomotor Nerve III: This motor nerve arise from midbrain and leads to eye muscles (including
eyelids and lens) and pupil. This nerve is associated with eye movement and pupil constriction.
Trochlear Nerve IV: This motor nerve arises from midbrain and leads to eye muscles. It works with
oculomotor nerve to produce the eye movements.
Trigeminal Nerve V: This cranial nerve, located in pons, has both sensory and motor nerve fibers. It
leads to most of the face (including eyes and mouth) and carry somatosensory information to face,
head and chewing muscles of jaws.
Abducens Nerve VI: Another mixed cranial nerve, located in pons. This is associated with eye
movement.
Facial VII: This is mixed cranial nerve, located in pons. Facial nerve splits into several branches that
control the muscles used for facial expressions (smiling, frowning etc). It also stimulates salivary
glands to produce saliva.
A branch of facial nerve carries taste sensation from the front 2/3 part of the tongue. The facial nerve
comes out just below the ear and passes through the salivary gland. Part of facial nerves carries
sensation from the outside of the ear.

Vestibulocochlear VIII: This sensory cranial nerve leads from inner ear to pons and is associated
with sense of hearing and balance.
Glossopharyngeal IX: This is a mixed cranial nerve, located in medulla oblongata. This is sensory
to posterior of throat (pharynx) and is associated with taste sensation from rest 1/3 part of tongue.
This is also associated with gag reflexes.
Vagus X: This is a sensory cranial nerve that leads from many visceral organs to medulla oblongata.
It carries somatosensory information from organs of thoracic, abdominal cavity including heart and
from that of gastrointestinal tract.
Spinal Accessory Nerve XI: This motor nerve arises from medulla oblongata and leads to muscles
of neck, back and larynx. It controls the head movement.
Hypoglossal Nerve XII: This motor nerve arises from medulla oblongata and controls the muscles
of tongue.

Ventral Surface of Brain Showing the Twelve Pairs of

Cranial Nerves

I
olfactory: smell info; thalamus

II
optic: visual info; thalamus and superior colliculus

III
occulomotor: eye movement; midbrain

IV
trochlear: eye movement; midbrain

V
trigeminal: facial feeling, chewing, suicide nerve; pons

VI
abducens: eyeball movement; pons

VII
facial: facial movement, taste, speech, swallowing; jcn of pons and medulla

VIII
audiovestibulocochlear: hearing, balance; inferior colliculus

IX
glossopharyngeal: swallowing, taste, speech, carotid BP; medulla

X
vagus: HR, RR, BP, digestion; medulla

XI
spinal accessory: shoulders; upper spinal cord

XII
hypoglossal: tongue movement; medulla

The
cranial
nerves
are 12
pairs of
nerves
that can
be seen
on the
ventral
(bottom)
surface
of the
brain.
Some of
these
nerves
bring
informat
ion from
the sense
organs
to the
brain;
other
cranial
nerves
control
muscles;
other
cranial
nerves
are
connecte
d to
glands
or
internal
organs
such as
the heart
and
lungs.

Cranial Nerves
Num
ber

Name

Function

Olfactory
Nerve

Smell

II

Optic Nerve

Vision

III

Oculomotor
Nerve

Eye
movement
; pupil
constrictio
n

IV

Trochlear
Nerve

Eye
movement

Location

Trigeminal
Nerve

Somatose
nsory
informatio
n (touch,
pain) from
the face
and head;
muscles
for
chewing.

VI

Abducens
Nerve

Eye
movement

VII

Facial Nerve

Taste
(anterior
2/3 of
tongue);
somatosen
sory
informatio
n from
ear;
controls
muscles
used in
facial
expression
.

VIII

Vestibulococ
hlear Nerve

Hearing;
balance

Glossophary
ngeal Nerve

Taste
(posterior
1/3 of
tongue);
Somatose
nsory
informatio
n from
tongue,
tonsil,
pharynx;
controls
some
muscles
used in
swallowin
g.

Vagus Nerve

Sensory,
motor and
autonomic
functions
of viscera
(glands,
digestion,
heart rate)

XI

Spinal
Accessory
Nerve

Controls
muscles
used in
head
movement
.

XII

Hypoglossal
Nerve

Controls
muscles
of tongue

IX

Note: the olfactory "nerve" is composed of the rootlets of olfactory hair

cells in the nasal mucosa and is not visible on the ventral surface of the
brain. The rootlets end in the olfactory bulb. The olfactory tract contains
nerve fibers projecting out of the olfactory bulb to the brain.
The images in this table have been adapted from those in the Slice of
Life project.