Cranial Nerves (Left)

Description

The cranial nerves are the 12 paired nerves of the peripheral nervous system that emerge directly from the brain. Each nerve is assigned a number based on its point of emergence from the brain along the rostrocaudal axis, with the first two nerves (olfactory and optic nerves) emerging from the cerebrum, and the remaining 10 arising from the brainstem.

The cranial nerves are numbered as follows:

—I) Olfactory nerve;

—II) Optic nerve;

—III) Oculomotor nerve;

—IV) Trochlear nerve;

—V) Trigeminal nerve;

—VI) Abducens nerve;

—VII) Facial nerve;

—VIII) Vestibulocochlear nerve;

—IX) Glossopharyngeal nerve;

—X) Vagus nerve;

—XI) Accessory nerve;

—XII) Hypoglossal nerve.

The cranial nerves carry motor information, sensory information, or both. The oculomotor, trochlear, abducens, accessory, and hypoglossal nerves carry motor information. The olfactory, optic, and vestibulocochlear nerves carry sensory information. The trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus nerves carry both sensory and motor information.