The glossopharyngeal nerve (IX cranial nerve) has five functional components: 1) It carries sensory fibers for taste from the posterior third of the tongue; 2) It carries general sensory fibers for structures like the pharynx and tonsils; 3) It carries sensory fibers for the external ear; 4) It carries motor fibers to control the stylopharyngeus muscle; 5) It carries parasympathetic fibers to control the parotid gland. The nuclei that control these functions include the nucleus ambiguus, nucleus salivatorius inferior, nucleus solitarius, and nucleus spinalis of the trigeminal nerve.

1. Glossopharyngeal
nerve
Domina Petric, MD

2. 8/19/2017 2
IX. cranial nerve has 5
functional pieces:
• Special visceral afferent fibres for
sensation of taste from posterior third
of the tongue.
• General visceral afferent fibres for
general visceral sensation from
posterior third of the tongue,
pharyngeal isthmus, tonsils,
nasopharynx, tympanic cavity and
carotid sinus.

3. IX. cranial nerve has 5
functional pieces:
• General somatic afferent fibres for
sensation from external ear.
• Special visceral efferent fibres for
innervation of stylopharyngeus muscle.
• General visceral efferent
parasympathetic fibres for innervation
of parotid gland.
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4. Nuclei
• nucleus ambiguus (special visceral
efferent fibres)
• nucleus salivatorius inferior (general
visceral efferent fibres)
• nucleus solitarius (general and special
visceral afferent fibres)
• nucleus spinalis n. trigemini (general
somatic afferent fibres)
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5. Foramen jugulare
Foramen jugulare
Inside
• Ganglion superior is inside the jugular foramen: bodies of general somatic
afferent neurons of IX. cranial nerve.
Foramen
jugulare
Foramen jugulare
Below
• Ganglion inferior is just below the jugular foramen: bodies of general and special
visceral afferent neurons of IX. cranial nerve.
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7. Branches of IX. cranial nerve
N. tympanicus forms plexus tympanicus:
• tympanic cavity mucosa
• mastoid air cells
• auditory tube mucosa (r. tubarius)
• ganglion tympanicum
• communication fibres from facial nerve
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nn. caroticotympanici

8. Branches of IX. cranial nerve
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9. Branches of IX. cranial nerve
R. communicans
cum ramo
auriculare n. vagi:
communication
branch for vagal
nerve.
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10. Branches of IX. cranial nerve
R. sinus carotici transfers general visceral
afferent fibres from chemoreceptors in carotid
body and baroreceptors from carotid sinus.
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11. Branches of IX. cranial nerve
• Rr. pharyngei are motoric, sensory and
parasympathetic fibres that come from
nucleus ambiguus and nucleus
salivatorius inferior, and go as afferent
fibres into nucleus solitarius.
• Pharyngeal branches together with
sympathetic fibres and vagal nerve form
plexus pharyngeus that innervates
pharyngeal muscles, mucosa and glands.
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12. Branches of IX. cranial nerve
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13. Branches of IX. cranial nerve
Rr. tonsillares are
sensory branches
that transfer the
sensation from
tonsils and soft
palate into the
nucleus solitarius.
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14. Branches of IX. cranial nerve
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15. Literature:
• TeachMeAnatomy.com
• Anatomymcqs.com
• Krmpotić-Nemanić J. Marušić A.
Anatomija čovjeka, Medicinska
naklada, Zagreb, 2007.
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