Trigeminal Nerve Flashcards
What does the term ‘trigeminal’ mean?
Latin: tri = three, geminus = twins; thus, trigeminal = triplet (thrice-twinned).
What is the largest cranial nerve?
The Trigeminal Nerve (Cranial Nerve V).
Is the Trigeminal Nerve sensory, motor, or both?
It is a mixed nerve: sensory (face & teeth) and motor (8 muscles).
From where does the Trigeminal Nerve emerge?
It emerges from the pons as two roots: a large sensory root and a small motor root.
What structure does the sensory root expand into?
The trigeminal ganglion.
What are the three branches of the Trigeminal Nerve?
- Ophthalmic division (V1), 2. Maxillary division (V2), 3. Mandibular division (V3).
Which division of the Trigeminal Nerve is entirely sensory?
Both the Ophthalmic (V1) and Maxillary (V2) divisions.
What are the three main branches of the Ophthalmic Nerve (V1)?
- Lacrimal nerve, 2. Frontal nerve, 3. Nasociliary nerve.
Which foramen does the Maxillary Nerve (V2) pass through?
Foramen rotundum.
What is unique about the Mandibular Nerve (V3)?
It is a mixed branch: sensory (e.g., temporal region, tongue) and motor (8 muscles).
Name the 8 muscles supplied by the Trigeminal Nerve.
4 muscles of mastication: masseter, temporalis, medial and lateral pterygoids; 2 tensor muscles: tensor tympani, tensor veli palatini; 2 floor-of-mouth muscles: mylohyoid, anterior belly of digastric.
What are the divisions of the Mandibular Nerve (V3) trunk?
Small anterior division (3 motor, 1 sensory) and large posterior division (3 sensory, 1 motor).
Which nerve supplies general sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?
The lingual nerve (V3).
Which nerve supplies special sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?
The chorda tympani (branch of Cranial Nerve VII).
Which nerve supplies all sensations to the posterior one-third of the tongue?
The glossopharyngeal nerve (Cranial Nerve IX).
