Anatomy (PNS) · MU Sofia

199. Facial nerve (VII). Intermediate nerve.

Covers the facial nerve (CN VII) and its intermediate nerve, beginning with its mixed motor, sensory and parasympathetic functions. It then sets out the functional components with their nuclei, including the motor, superior salivatory, solitary tract and trigeminal spinal nuclei, and a labelled picture. The intratemporal and extracranial courses follow, naming the geniculum, geniculate ganglion and stylomastoid foramen, then the intratemporal and extracranial branches, with the five terminal branches of the parotid plexus listed last.

Inside: 4 sections · 4 labelled pictures · 10 flashcards · 3 min

Topic 20 of 44 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Anatomy (PNS) (Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 4 sections, about 380 words (3 min of reading), with 10 flashcards.

In this note

  1. FACIAL NERVE
  2. Functional componants & nuclei
  3. Course :
  4. Branches :

FACIAL NERVE

  • The facial nerve is the seventh cranial nerve (CN VII).
  • It is a mixed nerve responsible for various functions include:
  • Motor : to muscles that developed from the 2nd pharyngeal arch = muscles of facial expression + platysma, posterior belly of digastric m. + stylohyoid m.
  • Sensory : Carries special sensations (taste) from anterior 2/3 of the tongue and soft palate ← special sensory. It also carries general sensations from concha of the ear. → Somatic (general) sensory
  • Parasympathetic : to lacrimal gland + submandibular gland & sublingual salivary glands. visceral motor
  • The facial n. arise from two divisions : a motor root & a smaller sensory root. (Intermediate nerve)

Functional componants & nuclei

Nuclei — Fibers

  1. 1. Motor nucleus - Special visceral Efferent (SVE)
  • at lower pontine tegmentum.
  • Its fibers loops around the abducent nerve nucleus forming (Facial colliculus).
  1. 2. Superior salivatory nucleus. _ General Visceral Efferent (GVE)
  • Parasympathatic nuclei.
  1. 3. nucleus of solitary tract _ Special Visceral Sensory Afferent (SVA)
  • From tongue anterior 2/3 → Geniculate ganglion → upper part of solitary nu.

* Sensory fibers that carry information from peripheral receptor to the CNS often have associated ganglia.

  1. 4. Spinal nucleus of trigeminal nerve — General Somatic Afferent (GSA)
  • Sensory nucleus

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