Facial nerve

The facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, cranial nerve VII, or simply CN VII, is a cranial nerve that emerges from the pons of the brainstem, controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. The nerve typically travels from the pons through the facial canal in the temporal bone and exits the skull at the stylomastoid foramen. It arises from the brainstem from an area posterior to the cranial nerve VI (abducens nerve) and anterior to cranial nerve VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve).

Facial nerve
The course of the facial nerve is shown here
The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck.
Details
Fromfacial nerve nucleus, intermediate nerve
Togreater superficial petrosal nerve,
InnervatesMotor: Muscles of facial expression, posterior belly of digastric, stylohyoid, stapedius
Special sensory: taste to anterior two-thirds of tongue
Parasympathetic: submandibular gland, sublingual gland, lacrimal glands
Identifiers
Latinnervus facialis
MeSHD005154
NeuroNames551
TA98A14.2.01.099
TA26284
FMA50868
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy
Cranial nerves
  • CN 0 – Terminal
  • CN I – Olfactory
  • CN II – Optic
  • CN III – Oculomotor
  • CN IV – Trochlear
  • CN V – Trigeminal
  • CN VI – Abducens
  • CN VII – Facial
  • CN VIII – Vestibulocochlear
  • CN IX – Glossopharyngeal
  • CN X – Vagus
  • CN XI – Accessory
  • CN XII – Hypoglossal

The facial nerve also supplies preganglionic parasympathetic fibers to several head and neck ganglia.

The facial and intermediate nerves can be collectively referred to as the nervus intermediofacialis.

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