Chapter 9: 9.4 Cranial Nerves versus Spinal Nerves

Question 1

Spinal Nerves

Answer 1

31 pairs of spinal nerves that attach to the spinal cord. Function is communication between the body and the brain.

Question 2

Cranial Nerves

Answer 2

12 pairs of cranial nerves that exit from the inferior portion of the brain and travel to mainly the head and neck, although there are two exceptions – the vagus and accessory nerves.

Question 3

How are spinal nerves named?

Answer 3

By what group of vertebrae they exit from. C1-C8, T1 – T12, L1 – L5, Sacral and coccygeal as well as many of them have individual names, such as median nerve which is involved in carpal tunnel, the sciatic nerve, the femoral nerve,…

Question 4

How are cranial nerves named?

Answer 4

Cranial nerves have a Roman numeral number and a name, such as olfactory I. optic II, …

Question 5

Motor Nerves

Answer 5

Carry message from the CNS to the muscles and glands.

Question 6

Sensory Nerves

Answer 6

Carry messages from different types of sensory receptors to the CNS.

Question 7

Mixed nerves

Answer 7

Carry both motor nerves and sensory nerves

Question 8

TRUE or FALSE: All cranial nerves sensory only?

Answer 8

FALSE. Only 2 cranial nerves carry sensory (afferent) messages towards the brain – the olfactory (I) and the optic (II).

Question 9

Can cranial be mixed cranial nerves?

Answer 9

Yes. Most of the cranial nerves are mixed meaning they carry both afferent (sensory) input to the brain and efferent (motor) output to the muscles.

Question 10

TRUE or FALSE? All spinal nerves are mixed.

Answer 10

TRUE. They all can carry sensory information to the CNS and receive motor information from the CNS.

Question 11

What two cranial nerves are sensory only?

Answer 11

Olfactory (smell) and optic (sight)

Question 12

Name the three sets of cranial nerves that control movement of the eyelids.

Answer 12

Abducens, Oculomotor, Trochlear Nerves

Question 13

The cranial nerve involved in smell is called the ___________________ .

Answer 13

Olfactory Nerve

Question 14

The cranial nerve involved in vision is called the ________________ .

Answer 14

Optic Nerve

Question 15

The cranial nerve involved in hearing and equilibrium is the ________________ .

Answer 15

Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Question 16

The cranial nerve involved in regulation of the heart rate is the _______________ .

Answer 16

Vagus Nerve

Question 17

The cranial nerve that allows you to stick your tongue out at someone is the _____________ .

Answer 17

Hypoglossal Nerve

Question 18

The cranial nerve that tells the facial expression muscles such as orbicularis oris, orbicularis oculi and frontalis to contract is the _________.

Answer 18

Facial Nerve

Question 19

The trigeminal nerve is a cranial nerve that tells the chewing muscles to “chew” as well as allows sensory receptor messages of touch, hot, cold and pain to inform the brain of what is happening. Thus this cranial nerve is called a ______________.

Answer 19

Mixed Nerve

Question 20

The facial nerve sends information from the taste buds of the tongue to an area in the brain that interprets them and allows us to “taste”. This is a type of _________________ information.

Answer 20

Sensory