Cranial nerves are the nerves that emerge directly from the brain (including the brainstem),

in contrast to spinal nerves (which emerge from segments of the spinal cord).[1] Ten of the
cranial nerves originate in the brainstem. Cranial nerves relay information between the brain
and parts of the body, primarily to and from regions of the head and neck.[2]

Spinal nerves emerge sequentially from the spinal cord with the spinal nerve closest to the
head (C1) emerging in the space above the first cervical vertebra. The cranial nerves,
however, emerge from the central nervous system above this level.[3] Each cranial nerve is
paired and is present on both sides. Depending on definition in humans there are twelve or
thirteen cranial nerves pairs, which are assigned Roman numerals I–XII, sometimes also
including cranial nerve zero. The numbering of the cranial nerves is based on the order in
which they emerge from the brain, front to back (brainstem).[1]

The terminal nerves (0), olfactory nerves (I) and optic nerves (II) emerge from the cerebrum
or forebrain, and the remaining ten pairs arise from the brainstem, which is the lower part of
the brain.[1]

The cranial nerves are considered components of the peripheral nervous system (PNS),[1]
although on a structural level the olfactory (I), optic (II), and trigeminal (V) nerves are more
accurately considered part of the central nervous system (CNS).[4]

Contents
 1 Anatomy
o 1.1 Terminology
o 1.2 Intracranial course
 1.2.1 Nuclei
 1.2.2 Ganglia
 1.2.3 Exiting the skull and extracranial course
 2 Function
o 2.1 Pheromonal Response (0)
o 2.2 Smell (I)
o 2.3 Vision (II)
o 2.4 Eye movement (III, IV, VI)
o 2.5 Trigeminal nerve (V)
o 2.6 Facial expression (VII)
o 2.7 Hearing and balance (VIII)
o 2.8 Oral sensation, taste, and salivation (IX)
o 2.9 Vagus nerve (X)
o 2.10 Shoulder elevation and head-turning (XI)
o 2.11 Tongue movement (XII)
 3 Clinical significance
o 3.1 Examination
o 3.2 Damage
 3.2.1 Compression
 3.2.2 Stroke
 3.2.3 Inflammation
  3.2.4 Other
 4 History
 5 Other animals
 6 See also
 7 References
 8 External links

Anatomy
See also: Table of cranial nerves

View of the human brain from below showing the cranial nerves on an autopsy specimen

View from below of the brain and brainstem showing the cranial nerves, numbered from
olfactory to hypoglossal after the order in which they emerge
The brainstem, with deeper cranial nerve nuclei and tracts inside the brain-stem shaded red.

Most typically, humans are considered to have twelve pairs of cranial nerves (I–XII), with the
terminal nerve (0) more recently canonized[1][3][5]. They are: the olfactory nerve (I), the optic
nerve (II), oculomotor nerve (III), trochlear nerve (IV), trigeminal nerve (V), abducens nerve
(VI), facial nerve (VII), vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII), glossopharyngeal nerve (IX), vagus
nerve (X), accessory nerve (XI), and hypoglossal nerve (XII).

Terminology

Cranial nerves are generally named according to their structure or function. For example, the
olfactory nerve (I) supplies smell, and the facial nerve (VII) supplies motor innervation to the
face. Because Latin was the lingua franca (common language) of the study of anatomy when
the nerves were first documented, recorded, and discussed, many nerves maintain Latin or
Greek names, including the trochlear nerve (IV), named according to its structure, as it
supplies a muscle that attaches to a pulley (Greek: trochlea). The trigeminal nerve (V) is
named in accordance with its three components (Latin: trigeminus meaning triplets),[6] and
the vagus nerve (X) is named for its wandering course (Latin: vagus).[7]

Cranial nerves are numbered based on their rostral-caudal (front-back) position,[1] when
viewing the brain. If the brain is carefully removed from the skull the nerves are typically
visible in their numeric order, with the exception of the last, CN XII, which appears to
emerge rostrally to (above) CN XI.[8]

Cranial nerves have paths within and outside the skull. The paths within the skull are called
"intracranial" and the paths outside the skull are called "extracranial". There are many holes
in the skull called "foramina" by which the nerves can exit the skull. All cranial nerves are
paired, which means that they occur on both the right and left sides of the body. The muscle,
skin, or additional function supplied by a nerve on the same side of the body as the side it
originates from, is referred to an ipsilateral function. If the function is on the opposite side to
the origin of the nerve, this is known as a contralateral function.[9]

Intracranial course
Nuclei

Main article: Cranial nerve nucleus

The cell bodies of many of the neurons of most of the cranial nerves are contained in one or
more nuclei in the brainstem. These nuclei are important relative to cranial nerve dysfunction
because damage to these nuclei such as from a stroke or trauma can mimic damage to one or
more branches of a cranial nerve. In terms of specific cranial nerve nuclei, the midbrain of the
brainstem has the nuclei of the oculomotor nerve (III) and trochlear nerve (IV); the pons has
the nuclei of the trigeminal nerve (V), abducens nerve (VI), facial nerve (VII) and
vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII); and the medulla has the nuclei of the glossopharyngeal nerve
(IX), vagus nerve (X), accessory nerve (XI) and hypoglossal nerve (XII). The fibers of these
cranial nerves exit the brainstem from these nuclei.[1]