Cranial Nerves

Question 1

CN I : Olfactory Nerve

Answer 1

• Function: Smell - sense of smell
• Sensory
• Location: the nerve most anterior part of the head out of the 12

Question 2

CN II : Optic Nerve

Answer 2

• function: vision - the visual info from retinas sent to the brain
• sensory
• location: immediately posterior to the olfactory nerves

Question 3

CN III: Oculomotor nerve

Answer 3

• function: vision - provides motor function to most muscles around the eyes to help them move and focus on objects + to help control the size of pupils.
• motor
• location: immediately posterior to the optic nerve (parallel)

Question 4

CN IV: Trochlear nerve

Answer 4

• function: eye - controls the superior oblique muscles, which are responsible for downwards, outwards, inward eye movements
• motor
• location: immediately posterior to the oculomotor nerve nd more lateral than the oculomotor nerve

Question 5

CN V: Trigeminal nerve

Answer 5

• function:
  - ophthalmic division: sensory (upper parts of the head)
  - maxillary division: sensory (middle of the head)
  - mandibular: sensory and motor for mastercation (lower parts of the head)
• to send pain, touch and temperature sensations to the brain
• sensory and motor
• location: (tip: largest nerve) lateral to the trochlea

Question 6

CN VI: Abducens nerve

Answer 6

• function: controls a muscle of the eye called lateral rectus muscle (responsible for outward eye movements as looking to the side)
• motor
• posterior to the trigeminal and more medial

Question 7

CN VII: Facial nerve

Answer 7

• Function: facial expression, collecting info from tastebuds
• sensory and motor
• location: posterior and lateral to the Abducens nerve and anterior to the vestibulocochlear

Question 8

CN VIII: Vestibulocochlear nerve

Answer 8

• function: hearing (vestibular = head orientation and balance, cochlear = sound)
• sensory
• posterior to the facial nerves

Question 9

CN IX: Glossopharyngeal nerve

Answer 9

• function: enable swallowing
• sensory and motor
• posterior to the vestibulocochlear nerve

Question 10

CN X: Vagus nerve

Answer 10

• function: regulation of internal organs such as digestion and heart rate
• sensory and motor
• location: directly posterior to the glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 11

CN XI: Spinal Accessory nerve

Answer 11

• function: muscle movement of head, neck and shoulders muscles
  -motor
• location: directly posterior to the vagus

Question 12

CN VII: Hypoglossal nerve

Answer 12

• function: most of the movements of the tongue
• motor
• medial to the vagus and anterior to the spinal accessory nerve