Cranial Nerves

Flashcards about the cranial nerves, the nervous system, and their functions.

How many cranial nerves do we have in our body?

12

What is cranial nerve one and what is it responsible for?

Olfactory nerve, sense of smell (olfaction).

What is cranial nerve two and what is it responsible for?

Optic nerve, vision.

Which cranial nerves are responsible for eye movement?

Oculomotor (III), Trochlear (IV), and Abducens (VI)

What is cranial nerve three responsible for?

Oculomotor nerve, innervates four of the six extrinsic eye muscles and controls pupil dilation and constriction.

Which eye muscle does the trochlear nerve innervate?

Superior oblique muscle

Which eye muscle does the abducens nerve innervate?

Lateral rectus muscle

What is cranial nerve five and what is it responsible for?

Trigeminal nerve, chewing (muscles of mastication) and sensation in the face and mouth.

What is cranial nerve seven and what is it responsible for?

Facial nerve, taste in the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and facial expressions.

Which cranial nerves are important for taste?

Facial (VII) and Glossopharyngeal (IX)

What is cranial nerve eight and what is it responsible for?

Vestibulocochlear nerve, hearing and equilibrium.

What is cranial nerve nine and what is it responsible for?

Glossopharyngeal nerve, taste in the posterior one-third of the tongue and swallowing.

What is cranial nerve ten and what is it responsible for?

Vagus nerve, controls heart rate, digestive tract motility, and the parasympathetic nervous system; also involved in taste at the back of the throat.

What is cranial nerve eleven and what is it responsible for?

Accessory nerve, innervates the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles, allowing for neck flexion, extension, and shoulder shrugging.

What is cranial nerve twelve and what is it responsible for?

Hypoglossal nerve, movement of the tongue.

Which is the only sense that does NOT relay information through the thalamus?

Smell

Which cranial nerve leads to pupil constriction?

Ocular motor

Which cranial nerve is known as the "wandering nerve"?

Vagus