Classification of Cranial Nerves based on their type and function:
- Purely Sensory cranial nerves: I, II, VIII
- Purely Motor cranial nerves: III, IV, VI, VII, XI, XII
- Mixed Motor and Sensory Nerve Fibers: IX, X
- Cranial nerves which absorb CSF: I, II, VII, VIII
- Cranial nerves which originate from medulla: IX, X, XI, XII
- Cranial nerves which are attached to Pons: V, VI, VII, VIII
- Smallest cranial nerve: Trochlear nerve
- Cranial nerve with longest intra cranial course: Trochlear nerve
- Only cranial nerve which emerges dorsally from the brainstem: Trochlear
- Longest extra cranial nerve course of cranial nerve: Vagus
Mnemonic to remember Sensory, Motor and Mixed Cranial Nerves: :
“Some say marry money but my brother says big brains matter more”
S: sensory (olfactory nerve – CN I)
S: sensory (optic nerve – CN II)
M: motor (oculomotor nerve – CN III)
M: motor (trochlear nerve – CN IV)
B: both (trigeminal nerve – CN V)
M: motor (abducens nerve – CN VI)
B: both (facial nerve – CN VII)
S: sensory (vestibulocochlear nerve – CN VIII)
B: both (glossopharyngeal nerve CN IX)
B: both (vagus nerve – CN X)
M: motor (spinal accessory nerve – CN XI)
M: motor (hypoglossal nerve – CN XII)
Source: Radiopaedia.org
12 cranial nerves if you are confused with the numbering of the cranial nerves:
- Olfactory Nerve
- Optic Nerve
- Oculomotor Nerve
- Trochlear Nerve
- Trigeminal Nerve
- Abducent Nerve
- Facial Nerve
- Vestibulocochlear Nerve
- Glossopharyngeal Nerve
- Vagus Nerve
- Spinal Accessory Nerve
- Hypoglossal Nerve
There are Spinal nerves as well which should not be confused with cranial nerves as they arise from the Spinal Cord on both the left and right side which are 31 pairs in number. These 31 Spinal nerves are mixed type supplying to many parts of the body. These are further divided into 5 types Cervical, Thorasic, Lumbar, Saccral and Coccygeal nerves.
7 and 5 are mixed nerves
5,7,9,10 are mixed nerves.
7 has both SVE and SVA fibers.
1,2,8 – sensory
3,4,6,11,12 – mainly motots
trigeminal is also a mixed nerve?
As the ophthalmic (V1, sensory), maxillary (V2, sensory) and mandibular (V3, motor and sensory) branches we can say that the Trigeminal is a mixed nerve.
So helpful
what are the functions of each
Most helpful page then other’s…
Yes because it is a nerve
So my anus
What is nerve