2. FUNCTIONS:
1. Special sensory (Taste)
2. General (somatic) sensory
3. Somatic (branchial) motor
4. Visceral (parasympathetic motor)
3. ORIGIN:
From junction of pons and medulla
As two divisions:
1. Motor root: innervates muscle of facial expression
2. Intermediate root: carries taste, parasympathetic
and somatic sensory fibers
4. NUCLEUS:
1. Branchiomotor nucleus
2. Superior salivatory nucleus (Parasympathetic)
3. Lacrimatory nucleus (Parasympathetic)
4. Nucleus of Tractus Solitarius (Sensory)
5.
6.
7. COURSE:
It crosses the posterior cranial fossa and leaves the
cranial cavity through the internal acoustic meatus
then enters the facial canal in in petrous part of
temporal bone. Near this point there is sharp bend
called GENICULUM OF FACIAL NERVE site of
geniculate ganglion. Finally it exists through
stylomastoid foramen and give its branches.
8.
9.
10. BRANCHES:
Within facial canal it gives:
1. Greater petrosal nerve
2. Nerve to stapedius
3. Chorda tympani nerve
From stylomastoid foramen it gives:
1. Digastric nerve
2. Posterior auricular nerve
3. Stylohyoid nerve
At Face:
1. Temporal Nerve
2. Zygomatic nerve
3. Buccal nerve
4. Mandibular nerve
5. Cervical nerve
11.
12.
13.
14. SOMATIC MOTOR:
Supplies muscle of facial expression and auricular muscles. Also supplies
posterior bellies of digastric, stylohyoid and stapedius muscle.
VISCERAL MOTOR:
Provides parasympathetic fibers to pterygopalatine ganglion for innervation
of lacrimal glands and to submandibular ganglion for innervation of
submandibular and sublingual glands.
SOMATIC SENSORY:
Supply skin of concha of auricle
SPECIAL SENSORY:
Fibers carried by chorda tympani join the lingual nerve to carry taste
sensation from anterior two thirds of tongue and soft palate