The trigeminal nerve (CN V) is responsible for sensation in the face and motor function of the muscles of mastication. It has three major branches - the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular nerves. The abducens nerve (CN VI) innervates the lateral rectus muscle to control eye movement. The facial nerve (CN VII) is a mixed nerve that controls facial muscle expression and receives taste and sensation from the anterior tongue. The vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) carries sensory information for hearing and balance.

1. By; Ömer ASLANKAN
Trigeminal nerve (5)
is responsible for sending sensation of touch, pain, and temperature from face to Brain
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is the largest cranial nerve
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This is motor and somatic nerve (fibers)
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Origin; mesencephalic nuclei (midbrain), principal pontine nuclei (pons), spinal nucleus (medulla) and motor
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nucleus
Structures supply; skin of the scalp, eyelids, conjunctiva, external ear, nose, nasal cavity, oral cavity
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Muscle; tensortympani, mastication
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Fibers; Special visceral afferent, general somatic efferent
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Function; sensation of touch , pain , temperature, pressure, mastication muscle
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Branches of Trigeminal Nerve
Ophthalmic Nerve (CN V1); is responsible for sensory innervation of the face, palpebral fissure, eye and
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nasal cavity.
Maxillary nerve (CN V2); is sensory innervation of the nasal cavity, sinuses, maxillary teeth, palate, face and
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forehead.
Mandibular Nerve (CN V3); İs sensory innervation of the buccal mucosa, mandibular teeth, and the skin
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below the mouth. contains both sensory and motor fibers.
1) Ciliary Ganglion
2) Pterygopalatine Ganglion
3) Otic Ganglion
4) Submandibular Ganglion
Cranial parasympathetic ganglia
1) Ciliary Ganglion
Location; lies in optic cavity, laterally to n. opticus
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Parasympathetic Root; Inferior branch of CN III
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Sympathetic root; Branches from internal carotid plexus in cavernous sinus
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Main Distribution; ciliary ganglion pass to ciliary muscle and sphincter pupillae of iris;
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2) Pterygopalatine Ganglion
Location ; in fossa pterygopalatina. (In the pterygopalatine ganglion, anterior to foramen rotundum and
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maxillary nerve)
Parasympathetic Root; Greater petrosal nerve from facial nerve (CN VII) via nerve of pterygoid canal
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Sympathetic root; synapse before it enters the internal carotid
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Main Distribution; Parasymp postgang fibers from pterygopalatine ganglion innervate lacrimal gland via
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zygomatic branch of CN v2; sympa postsynp fibers from superior cervical ganglion accompany branches of
pterygopalatine nerve that are distributed to blood vessels of nasal cavity, palate, and superior parts of pahrynx
3) Otic Ganglion
Location; Between tensor palatini and mandibular nerve (CN V3); lies inferior to foramen ovale of sphenoid
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bone
Parasympathetic Root; Tympanic nerve from glossopharyngeal (CN IX); continues from tympanic plexus
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as lesser petrosal nerve
Sympathetic root; FIbers from superior cervical ganglion come from plexus on middle meningeal artery
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Main Distribution; Parasympathetic postsynaptic fibers from otic ganglion are distributed to parotid gland via
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auriculotemporal nerve (branch of CN v3); sympathetic post-synp fibers from superior cervical ganglion pass to
parotid gland and supply its blood vessels

2. 4) Submandibular Ganglion
Location; lies below n. lingualis close to the medial surface of glandula sublingualis
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Parasympathetic Root; Parasymp fibers join facial nerve (CN VII) and leave it in its chorda tympani
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branch, which unites with lingual nerve
Sympathetic root; Sympathetic fibers from superior cervical ganglion via plexus on facial artery chorda
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tympani
Main Distribution; parasymp postsynp fibers from submandibular ganglion are distributed to sublingual and
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submandibular glands; sympathetic fibers from superior cervical ganglion supply sublingual and submandibular
glands.
Abducens nerve (6)
İs responsible for innervates the lateral rectus muscle in the eye
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is a purely somatic motor nerve.
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has the second longest intracranial Nerve
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Origin; the anterior surface of the brainstem between the pons and medulla and traverse the pontine cistern of
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the subarachnoid space, straddling the basilar artery.
abducent nucleus is in the pons near the median plane.
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Structures supply; lateral rectus
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Fibers; general somatic efferent
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Function; eye movement , rotation
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Facial nerve (7)
This is motor nerve and sensory nerve
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Origin; pons
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Structures supply; muscles of facial expression, stapedius, lacrimal glands, nasal and palatine glands
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Fibers; Special visceral efferent, general visceral efferent, Special visceral afferent, general visceral afferent
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Function; muscle of facial expressions, lacrimation, secretion, teste, pain,
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Vestibulocichlear nerve (8)
This is primary sensory nerve and motor nerve
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Origin; pons, medulla junction
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Structures supply; vestibule, semicircular canals, cochlea,
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Fibers; special sensory afferent
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Function; static equilibrium, dynamic equilibrium, sound
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