Cranial Merves

Question 1

Olfactory nerve

Answer 1

Function: Sensory
Function: Sense of smell
Common innervation: Olfactory epithelium in the nasal cavity

Question 2

Optic nerve

Answer 2

Function: Sensory
Function: Vision
Common innervation: Retina of the eye

Question 3

Oculomotor nerve

Answer 3

Function: Motor and parasympathetic
Motor function: Controls most of the muscles that move the eyeball, including raising the eyelid (levator palpebrae superioris muscle)
Parasympathetic function: Constricts the pupil (pupillary constriction) and accommodates the lens for near vision (ciliary muscle)
Common innervation: Superior rectus, inferior rectus, medial rectus, and inferior oblique muscles of the eye

Question 4

Trochlear nerve

Answer 4

Function: Motor
Motor function: Controls the superior oblique muscle of the eye, which helps with downward and inward eye movements
Common innervation: Superior oblique muscle of the eye

Question 5

Trigeminal nerve

Answer 5

Function: Mixed (Sensory and motor)
Sensory function: Provides sensation to the face (ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions) and anterior two-thirds of the tongue
Motor function: Innervates the muscles of mastication (temporalis, masseter, and pterygoid muscles)
Common innervation: Face, scalp, oral and nasal mucosa, teeth, anterior two-thirds of the tongue, and muscles of mastication

Question 6

Abducens nerve

Answer 6

Function: Motor
Motor function: Controls the lateral rectus muscle of the eye, which abducts (turns outward) the eye
Common innervation: Lateral rectus muscle of the eye

Question 7

Facial nerve

Answer 7

Function: Mixed (Sensory, motor, and parasympathetic)
Sensory function: Provides taste sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue
Motor function: Controls facial expressions and innervates the muscles of facial expression
Parasympathetic function: Innervates the lacrimal gland (tear production), submandibular gland, and sublingual gland (saliva production)
Common innervation: Facial muscles, taste buds on the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, lacrimal gland, and salivary glands

Question 8

Vestibulocochlear nerve

Answer 8

Function: Sensory
Function: Sensation of hearing (cochlear division) and sense of balance and equilibrium (vestibular division)
Common innervation: Cochlea (inner ear) for hearing and vestibular apparatus (semicircular canals, utricle, and saccule) for balance

Question 9

Glossopharyngeal nerve

Answer 9

Function: Mixed (Sensory, motor, and parasympathetic)
Sensory function: Provides taste sensation to the posterior one-third of the tongue and sensation to the pharynx and tonsils
Motor function: Innervates the stylopharyngeus muscle, which assists in swallowing
Parasympathetic function: Innervates the parotid gland (saliva production)
Common innervation: Posterior one-third of the tongue, pharynx, tonsils, and parotid gland

Question 10

Vagus nerve

Answer 10

Function: Mixed (Sensory, motor, and parasympathetic)
Sensory function: Provides sensation to the pharynx, larynx, thoracic and abdominal organs
Motor function: Innervates muscles involved in speech (pharyngeal and laryngeal muscles) and swallowing, as well as muscles in the neck and thorax
Parasympathetic function: Innervates thoracic and abdominal organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, and gastrointestinal tract
Common innervation: Pharynx, larynx, thoracic and abdominal organs

Question 11

Accessory nerve

Answer 11

Function: Motor
Motor function: Controls the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles, which are involved in head and shoulder movements
Common innervation: Sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles

Question 12

Hypoglossal nerve

Answer 12

Function: Motor
Motor function: Controls the muscles of the tongue, which are involved in speech and swallowing
Common innervation: Intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue