Easy Way to Remember ALL 12 Cranial Nerves Cranial Nerves: Cranial nerves are the nerves that emerge directly from the brain (including the brainstem), in contrast to spinal nerves (which emerge from segments of the spinal cord). Cranial nerves relay information between the brain and parts of the body, primarily to and from regions of the head and neck. 12 Cranial Nerves A list of the 12 cranial nerves, the type of nerve, what number the nerve is, and the function of the nerve: Olfactory Number: 1 Type: Sensory Function: Sense of Smell Optic Number: 2 Type: Sensory Function: Vision Oculomotor Number: 3 Type: Motor Function: Raise eyelids, move eyes, regulate the size of pupils, focus of lenses. Trochlear Number: 4 Type: Motor Function: Eye movements, proprioception Trigeminal Number: 5 Type: Mixed Function: Sensations of the head and face, chewing movements, and muscle sense. Abducens Number: 6 Type: Motor Function: Produce movements of the eyes Facial Number: 7 Type: Mixed Function: Facial expressions, secretion of saliva, taste. Vestibulocochlear Number: 8 Type: Sensory Function: Balance or equilibrium sense. Hearing. Glossopharyngeal Number: 9 Type: Mixed Function: Taste and other sensations of tongue, swallowing, secretion of saliva, aid in reflex control of blood pressure and respiration. Vagus Number: 10 Type: Mixed Function: Transmit impulses to muscles associated with speech, swallowing, the heart, smooth muscles of visceral organs in the thorax, and abdomen. Accessory Number:11 Type: Motor Function: Turning movements of the head, movements of the shoulder and viscera, voice production. Hypoglossal Number:12 Type: Motor Function: Tongue movements
Also, you can divide them in 3 groups of 4 and that's where their nuclei are, from top to bottom: 1, 2, 3,4 Midbrain, 5, 6, 7, 8 Pons, 9, 10, 11, 12 Medulla Oblongata. (Trigeminal and Accessory also have spinal nuclei, cause they're weirdos like that, don't judge)
