Intro to Cranial Nerves Flashcards
How many cranial nerves are there?
12
Which two cranial nerves are not actually nerves, but are tracts - extensions of the brain that are covered by meninges?
CN I (olfactory tract) and CN II (optic tract)
Which cranial nerve originates from spinal nuclei?
CN XI
Are all cranial nerves both sensory and motor like spinal nerves are? Explain.
No, they don’t form a union of dorsal and ventral roots, so they can be motor only, sensory only, or mixed.
Do cranial nerves form plexuses?
Nope
What makes up the brainstem? Which cranial nerves originate from the brainstem?
Midbrain + pons + medulla oblongata = brain stem.
All CNs except for I, II, and XI originate from the brainstem.
Groups of CNS cell bodies are called _______, while groups of cell bodies in the PNS are called ______.
Groups of cell bodies in the CNS = nuclei
Groups of cell bodies in the PNS = ganglia
Where are sensory cell bodies found in the peripheral nervous system? Where are sensory cell bodies found in the CNS?
In the PNS, they are found in dorsal root ganglion.
In the CNS they are found in ganglion just outside the brainstem.
-note that no synapses occur in these ganglia, they are pseudounipolar nerves.
Once a cranial nerve exits the brain and enters the _______ space, it is technically considered to be in the periphery.
subarachnoid space
Which cranial nerves have preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that piggyback on them? On which cranial nerve do postganglionic fibers piggyback?
CNs III, VII, IX, and X.
Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers piggyback on CN V.
What is the other term for the sympathetic nervous system?
What is the other term for the parasympathetic nervous system?
Sympathetic = thoracolumbar
Parasympathetic = craniosacral
What are the five types of fibers that cranial nerves might consist of? Which two CNs have all five of these fibers?
One or more of…
- Special sensory (smell, sight, taste, etc.)
- Visceral sensory
- Somatic sensory
- Somatic motor
- Visceral motor (smooth muscle, glands, etc.)
CNs IX and X have all of these.
How will you remember which cranial nerves are sensory, motor, or mixed?
Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Breasts Matter Most
B = both (mixed)
What is CN I?
Olfactory nerve
The true olfactory nerves pass from the nose up through the ________ plate of the ________ bone to synapse with the olfactory bulb (CN I)
True olfactory nerves pass from the nose up through the cribiform plate of the ethmoid bone
What is CN II?
Optic nerve
Axons of ______ ______ cells collectively make up the optic nerve.
retinal ganglion cells
Where in the brain do the axons of the retinal ganglion cells ultimately travel to?
Most go to the visual cortex within occipital lobes, and some synapse in the lateral geniculate nucleus (pupillary light reflex)
What is CN III?
Oculomotor - somatic and visceral motor
Fibers travel from the ocular motor nucleus to the eye through the ________ ________ fissure, and split to form a _______ and ______ division to innervate the ocular muscles.
superior orbital fissure, splits to form a superior and inferior division.