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facial nerve (CN VII)

Function: - Somatic & visceral motor; somatic & visceral sensory. Efferents: Facial nucleus 1) anterolaterally displaced in the pons 2) fibers travel posteriorly, around the abducens nucleus (CN 6) then exit anterolaterally 3) fibers originating in the facial nucleus innervate: a) muscles of facial expression b) stapedius Superior salivary nucleus 1) located medial to the nucleus solitarius in the rostral pons 2) visceral motor nucleus 3) fibers originating in the superior salivary nucleus innervate: a) lacrimal gland, synapsing 1st in pterygopalatine ganglion b) submaxillary gland, synapsing 1st in submandibular ganglion c) submandibular gland, synapsing 1st in submandibular ganglion Afferents: Nucleus solitarius 1) located in rostral pons lateral to the superior salivary nucleus 2) cell bodies of primary sensory neurons in geniculate ganglion 3) visceral sensory 4) CN 7 fibers synapsing in the nucleus solitarius innervates the anterior 2/3 of tongue - taste 5) nucleus solitarius is shared by CN 7, CN 9, CN 10 Sensory nucleus of CN 5 1) the sensory nucleus of CN 5 actually obtains sensory input from CN 7, CN 9, & CN 10, but because of the dominant input from CN 5, retains it name 2) fibers synapsing in the sensory nucleus of CN 5 innervates the external ear 3) cell bodies of primary sensory neurons in geniculate ganglion Branches: 1) general somatic efferent a) posterior auricular nerve b) temporal branch of the facial nerve c) zygomatic branch of the facial nerve d) buccal branch of the facial nerve e) mandibular branch of the facial nerve f) cervical branch of the facial nerve g) nerve to the posterior belly of the digastric h) nerve to the stylohyoid i) nerve to the stapedius 2) general visceral efferent a) greater petrosal nerve - nerve of the pterygoid canal b) chorda tympani Course: - courses superiorly from the lateral aspect of the rostral medulla to the internal acoustic meatus

Related

chorda tympani facial nucleus greater petrosal nerve internal acoustic meatus lingual nerve nucleus solitarius superior salivary nucleus trigeminal sensory nucleus

General

cranial nerve

References

  1. Grant's Atlas of Anatomy, 10th edition, AMR Agur & MJ Lee (eds), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 1999
  2. Clinical Anatomy Made Ridiculously Simple. Stephen Goldberg, MedMaster Inc, Miami, 1995

Components

buccal branch of facial nerve (CN VII) cervical branch of facial nerve (CN VII) mandibular branch of facial nerve (CN VII) posterior auricular nerve temporal branch of facial nerve (CN VII) zygomatic branch of facial nerve (CN VII)

Images

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