Peripheral Nervous System

Olfactory Nerve

Sense of smell​

Optic Nerve

Vision​

Oculomotor Nerve

Eyeball and eyelid movement​

Trochlear Nerve

Eye movement​

Trigeminal Nerve

Facial sensation and chewing​, Largest cranial nerve and is divided into three branches consisting of the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular nerves​

Abducens Nerve

Eye movement​

Facial Nerve

Facial expressions and sense of taste​

Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Equilibrium and hearing​

Glossopharyngeal Nerve

Swallowing, sense of taste, and saliva secretion​

Vagus Nerve

Smooth muscle sensory and motor control in throat, lungs, heart, and digestive system​

Accessory Nerve

Movement of neck and shoulders​

Hypoglossal Nerve

Movement of tongue, swallowing, and speech

Cauda equina

specialized bundle of motor and sensory nerves that innervate the pelvic organs and lower limbs ​

Motor Pathway Function

Responsible for conscious skeletal muscle and autonomic contractions as well as maintaining posture, balance and muscle tone ​

Motor Pathway Types

Direct (2) and Indirect (4)

Direct Includes

Corticobulbar tracts and Corticospinal tracts

Indirect Includes

Vestibulospinal tracts, Reticulospinal tracts, Rubrospinal tracts, and Tectospinal tracts

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?

31 pairs

Corticobulbar tracts

Direct; conscious control over eye, jaw, and face muscles

Corticospinal tracts

Direct; carry signals from cerebral cortex for precise, finely coordinated movements

Vestibulospinal tracts

Indirect; coordination of posture and balance

Reticulospinal tracts

Indirect; Send information to cause eye movements and activate respiratory muscles

Rubrospinal tracts

Indirect; Assists in Motor Function like flexing your muscles

Tectospinal tracts

Indirect; conduct head movements in response to visual stimuli

paraplegia

paralysis from the waist down

hemiplegia

paralysis of one side of the body

quadriplegia

paralysis of all four limbs

Apraxia

inability to perform particular purposive actions, as a result of brain damage.

poliomyelitis (polio)

inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord, leading to paralysis of the limbs and muscles of respiration

Huntington's disease

Genetic disorder that causes progressive deterioration of brain cells.