12 CRANIAL NERVES AND SPECIAL SENSES

CRANIAL NERVES
NUMBER NAME FUNCTIONS TYPE
I OLFACTORY Sense of smell sensory
II OPTIC Sense of sight; Sensory
balance
III OCCULAR Moving eyeball; Motor
focusing; regulating
the size of the pupil
IV TROCHLEAR Movement of the Motor
eyeball
V TRIGEMINAL Chewing; sensation Both/mixed
from the face
VI ABDUCENT Movement of the Motor
eye
VII FACIAL Sense of taste; Both/mixed
movement of facial
expression
VIII AUDITORY/VESTIBULOCOCHLEAR Sense of hearing; Sensory
maintaining balance
IX GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL Secretion of saliva; Both/mixed
sense of taste;
movement of the
pharynx
X VAGUS Movement and Both/mixed
secretion in GI tract;
heart rate
XI ACCESSORY Movement of the Motor
head, shoulders &
larynx
XII HYPOGLOSSAL Movement of the motor
tongue
The Special Senses

Sense of hearing
Ear
• organ responsible for hearing and also in balance.
• Supplied by the 8th cranial nerve which is stimulated by vibrations caused by sound waves.
• The structure that form the ear are encased within petrous portion of the temporal bone except
the auricle (pinna)
• Structure of the ear
 Outer Ear
 Collects the sound waves and directs them to the middle ear, which in
turn transfers them to the inner ear, where they are converted into
nerve impulses and transmitted to the hearing area in the cerebral
cortex.
 Consists of the auricle and the external acoustic meatus
 Parts of the outer ear:
 Auricle
-Composed of fibroelastic cartilage covered with skin
 Lobule (earlobe)
- is the soft pliable part of the lower extremity,
composed of fibrous and adipose tissue richly
supplied with blood.
 External Acoustic Meatus (Auditory Canal)

 The slightly S-shaped tube about 2.5 cm long extending from the auricle
of the tympanic membrane (eardrum).
 Tympanic membrane (eardrum) – separates the external acoustic
meatus from the middle ear.
 Cerumen (earwax) – secreted by ceruminous glands
- sticky material containing protective substance.

 Middle ear
 Irregular-shaped air-filled cavity within the petrous portion of the
temporal lobe.
  The oval window is occluded by part of a small bone called stapes
 Air reaches the cavity through the pharyngotympanic tube, which links
the nasopharynx and the middle ear.

 Auditory Ossicles
The 3 smallest bones
1. Malleus – lateral hammer-shaped bone.

2. Incus – middle anvil-shaped bone.

3. Stapes – medial stirrup-shaped bone

 Inner ear
 Contains the organ of hearing and balance.
 Described in 2 parts, the bony and membranous labyrinth.
1. Bony labyrinth - filled with perilymph
2. Membranous labyrinth – filled with endolymph
 REGIONS OF THE INNER EAR
 Vestibule
• Extended part near the middle ear.
• Cotains 2 membranous sacs, utricle and saccule, which are
important in balance.
 Semicircular canals
• Continuous with the vestibule and also important in balance.

 Cochlear
 Contains the endings of the nerve that carries information about sound
to the brain.
 Cross-section of the cochlea contains 2 compartments:
 Scala vestibuli
 Scala media
 Scala tympani

Hearing Physiology

Sound waves àAuricle àAuditory canal à Tympanic membrane à Middle ear àStape

à Inner ear àCochlear à 8th cranial nerve àMedulla à Cerebrum

Sense of sight
Eyes
• is the organ of sight
• it is almost spherical in shape and about 2.5 cm in diameter
• Three Layers of Tissue in the walls of the eye
1. THE OUTER FIBROUS LAYER
  Sclera
 is the part of the eye commonly known as the “white.”
 It forms the supporting wall of the eyeball, and is continuous with the clear
cornea.
 is covered by the conjunctiva, a clear mucus membrane that helps lubricate the
eye.
 It is thickest in the area surrounding the optic nerve
 Three divisions:
1. Episclera,
- loose connective tissue, immediately beneath the conjunctiva 
2. Sclera proper
- the dense white tissue that gives the area its color
 3. Lamina fusca
- the innermost zone made up of elastic fibers.
 Cornea
 the cornea is convex anteriorly and is involved in refracting(bending) light rays to
focus them on the retina.  
 it is actually a highly organized group of cells and proteins. It helps to shield the
rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter.
 The cornea shares this protective task with the eyelids, the eye socket, tears, and
the white part of the eye (sclera). The cornea acts as the eye’s outermost lens.
 It functions like a window that controls and focuses the entry of light into the
eye.
 The cornea contributes between 65-75 percent of the eye’s total focusing power.
 5 Basic Types:
 Epithelium - is the cornea’s outermost region, comprising about 10
percent of the tissue’s thickness
 Bowman’s Layer - a transparent sheet of tissue,  It is composed of strong
layered protein fibers called collagen
 Stroma - which comprises about 90 percent of the cornea’s thickness. It
consists primarily of water (78 percent) and collagen (16 percent), and
does not contain any blood vessels. 
 Descemet’s Membrane - a thin but strong sheet of tissue that serves as a
protective barrier against infection and injuries
 Endothelium - is the extremely thin, innermost layer of the cornea.
Endothelial cells are essential in keeping the cornea clear

2. THE MIDDLE VASCULAR LAYER OR UVEAL TRACT

 Chroid
 it is very rich in blood vessels and is deep chocolate brown in colour. Light enters
the eye through the pupil, stimulates the sensory receptors in the retina and is
then absorbed by the choroid
 Ciliary Body

 is the anterior continuation of the choroid consisting of ciliary muscle(smooth

muscle fibres) and secretory epithelial cells. The ciliary muscle acts like a
sphincter. The ciliary body is supplied by a parasympathetic branches of the
oculomotor nerve(3rd cranial nerve)
 Iris
 is the visible coloured ring at the front of the eye and extends anteriorly from
ciliary body. Lying behind the cornea and in front of the lens
3. THE INNER NERVOUS TISSUE LAYER

 Retina
 is the innermost lining of the eye. It is an extremely delicate structure and well
adapted for stimulation by light rays.
 Rod and cones
 which stimulate the nerve ending in the retina enabling vision.
 Lens
 A biconvex elastic transparent body suspended behind the iris from the ciliary
body by suspensory ligament.
 It is the only structure in the eye able to change its refractive power
  * Light from distant objects needs least refraction and, as the object comes
closer, the amount of refraction needed increases
* To focus light rays from near objects on the retina, the refractory power of
the lens must be increase by accommodation .

 Pupils
 Controlled by Autonomic Nervous System
 Sympathetic stimulus dilates the pupils
 Parasympathetic stimulation constricts them
 Pupil size – contributes to clear vision by controlling the amount of light
entering the eye.
 In Bright light the pupils are constricted
 In Dim light they are dilated
• Accessory organs of the eye
 Eye
-delicate organ which is protected by several structures.

 Eyebrows
- two arched ridges of the supraorbital margins of the frontal bone. Numerous hars project
obliquely from the surface of the skin
-Function: To protect the eyeball from sweat, dust and other foreign bodes.

 Eyelids (palpebrae)
- are two movable folds of tissue situated above and below the form of each eye.
- A thin covering of skin
-A thin sheet of subcutaneous connective (loose areolar) tissue
-Two muscles
-Orbicularis oculi
-Levator palpebrae superioris
-A thin sheet of dense connective tissue, the tarsal plate, is larger in the upper than the
lower eyelid, which supports the other structures.
-A membranous lining, the CONJUNCTION.
-Conjunctiva
• This is a fine transparent membrane that lines the eyelids and the front of the
eyeball
• Where it lines the eyelids it consists of highly vascular columnar epithelium
-Corneal Conjunctiva
• consists of a vascular stratified epithelium without blood vessels.
-When the eyelids are closed the conjunctiva becomes a closed sac. That protects the
delicate cornea and the front of the eye.
-When the eyedrops are administer they are placed in the lower conjuctival sac. 
-Medial angles – Medial cathus
-Lateral angles- Lateral cathus

 Eyelashes
- located on the free edges of the eyelids that are short curved haris. 

The Sense of Smell

• Sense of smell or olfaction, originates in the nasal cavity, which also acts as a passageway for
respiration.
• Olfactory Nerves (first cranial nerves)
• These are the sensory nerve of smell.
• They originate as chemoreceptors (specialized olfactory nerve endings) in the mucous membrane of
the roof of the nasal cavity above the superior nasal conchae.

* The Sense of smell and the sense of taste are closely related:
 The sense of smell may affect the appetite. If the odours are pleasant the appetite may
improve and vice versa. When accompanied by the sight of food, an appetizing smell increases
salivation and stimulates the digestive system.
 The sense of smell may create powerful and long-lasting memories, especially for distinctive
odours (e.g. hospital smells, favorite foods or least-liked foods)

* Adaptation
  When an individual is continuously exposed to an odour, perception of the odour decreases
and ceases within a few minutes. This loss of perception affects only that specific odour.

Sense of taste
Tongue
• A muscular organ in the mouth that is covered with moist, pink tissue called mucosa
• Tiny bumps called papillae give the tongue its rough texture.
• Also known as Gestation and is closely linked to the sense of smell and like smell, this also involves
stimulation of chemoreceptors by dissolving chemicals.
• Taste buds contain chemoreceptors that are found in the papillae of the tongue and widely distributed
in the epithelia of the tongue. 
• Functions:
 Taste. The taste buds, the sensory receptors for taste, are located on the tongue.
 Speech. The movements of the tongue are crucial for articulation.
 Chewing and swallowing. The tongue helps the teeth and other parts of the mouth with
chewing food and passing it down the throat as the first part of the swallowing process.
 Cleaning. The movements of the tongue dislodge food particles stuck between the teeth,
gum and cheek so that it can be spat out or swallowed.

• Parts of the Tongue:
 The top of the tongue (superior surface) has a V-shaped line known as the terminal sulcus
that divides the tongue into the anterior and posterior surfaces.
 The anterior surface is made up of the apex at the tip and body.
 The posterior surface is made up entirely of the root.
 The inferior surface of the tongue (underside)  is also made up of the body and apex.

 Root
 -Located between the hyoid bone and mandible.
 -Attaches the tongue to roof of the mouth.
 Body
 -Makes up the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.
 -Rough surface due to the lingual papillae.
 -Surrounded by anterior and lateral teeth.
 Apex
 -Also known as the tip, is the anterior one-third of the anterior tongue surface.
 -Highly mobile.

*Physiology of Taste

 Four fundamental sensation of taste: Sweet (usually indicates energy rich nutrients), Sour
(typically the taste of acids), Bitter (allows sensing of diverse natural toxins), and salty(allows
 modulating diet for electrolyte balance). Fifthe sense umami (the taste of amino acids (e.g. meat
broth or aged cheese))
 Taste is impaired when the mouth is dry, because substances can only be tasted when in
solution.
 Taste buds are composed of groups of between 50 and 150 columnar taste receptor cells
bundled together like a cluster of bananas. (The taste receptor cells within a bud are arranged
such that their tips form a small taste pore, and through this pore extend microvilli from the
taste cells. The microvilli of the taste cells bear taste receptors.)
 Once taste signals are transmitted to the brain, several efferent neural pathways are activated
that are important to digestive function. (For example, tasting food is followed rapidly by
increased salivation and by low level secretory activity in the stomach.)

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