Head has cranial nerves 1 through 12 {cranial nerve}.
Cranial nerve 1 {olfactory nerve} {cranial nerve 1} {cranial nerve I} has axons from nose olfactory-sense neurons, through cribriform plate, to olfactory bulb. Vertebrate smell uses first cranial nerve.
Cranial nerve 2 {optic nerve} {cranial nerve 2} {cranial nerve II} is from retina to thalamus. It leaves the retina at a location with no receptors {optic disk}.
Cranial nerve 3 {oculomotor nerve} {cranial nerve 3} {cranial nerve III} sends to extrinsic eye muscles, upper eyelid elevator muscle, ciliary muscle, and pupil sphincter muscle. Extrinsic eye muscles are inferior oblique, superior rectus, inferior rectus, and medial rectus, but not lateral rectus or superior oblique.
Cranial nerve 4 {trochlear nerve} {cranial nerve 4} {cranial nerve IV} sends to superior oblique eye muscles.
Cranial nerve 5 {trigeminal nerve} {cranial nerve 5} {cranial nerve V} is from face and carries smell coolness or hotness.
Cranial nerve 6 {abducens nerve} {cranial nerve 6} {cranial nerve VI} sends to lateral rectus eye muscles.
Cranial nerve 7 {facial nerve} {cranial nerve 7} {cranial nerve VII} is from face and has branch {chorda tympani nerve} from anterior mobile tongue that travels with trigeminal-nerve lingual branch as it leaves tongue, goes to middle ear, goes to brain, and signals taste.
Cranial nerve 8 {auditory nerve} {vestibulocochlear nerve} {cranial nerve 8} {cranial nerve VIII} is from inner ear and has cochlear-nerve axons, from hair cells to brain, and vestibular-nerve axons, from vestibule to brain.
Cranial nerve 9 {glossopharyngeal nerve} {cranial nerve 9} {cranial nerve IX} is from pharynx and controls swallowing, tasting, and saliva release.
Cranial nerve 10 {vagus nerve, cranial nerve}| {cranial nerve 10} {cranial nerve X} goes from heart, lungs, stomach, intestine, larynx, esophagus, and aorta to nucleus tractus solitarius. It connects brain to lungs, heart, and intestines.
Cranial nerve 11 {spinal accessory nerve} {cranial nerve 11} {cranial nerve XI} is from shoulder.
Cranial nerve 12 {hypoglossal nerve} {cranial nerve 12} {cranial nerve XII} is from tongue.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225