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Facial nerve
Cranial nerve VII, for the face and tasting / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, cranial nerve VII, or simply CN VII, is a cranial nerve that emerges from the pons of the brainstem, controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.[1][2] The nerve typically travels from the pons through the facial canal in the temporal bone and exits the skull at the stylomastoid foramen.[3] It arises from the brainstem from an area posterior to the cranial nerve VI (abducens nerve) and anterior to cranial nerve VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve).
Facial nerve | |
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![]() The course of the facial nerve is shown here | |
![]() The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck. | |
Details | |
From | Facial nerve nucleus, intermediate nerve |
To | Greater superficial petrosal nerve |
Innervates | Motor: Muscles of facial expression, posterior belly of digastric, stylohyoid, stapedius Special sensory: taste to anterior two-thirds of tongue Parasympathetic: submandibular gland, sublingual gland, lacrimal glands |
Identifiers | |
Latin | nervus facialis |
MeSH | D005154 |
NeuroNames | 551 |
TA98 | A14.2.01.099 |
TA2 | 6284 |
FMA | 50868 |
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy |
The facial nerve also supplies preganglionic parasympathetic fibers to several head and neck ganglia.
The facial and intermediate nerves can be collectively referred to as the nervus intermediofacialis.