cranial nerve

cranial nerve

n.

Any of several nerves that arise in pairs from the brain stem and reach the periphery through openings in the skull. There are 12 such pairs in mammals, birds, and reptiles and usually 10 pairs in amphibians and fish.

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cranial nerve

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) any of the 12 paired nerves that have their origin in the brain and reach the periphery through natural openings in the skull

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cranial nerve

Any of the 12 pairs of nerves in humans and other mammals that connect the muscles and sensory organs of the head and upper chest directly to the brain through openings in the skull. The cranial nerves include the optic nerve and the auditory nerve.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

cranial nerve - any of the 12 paired nerves that originate in the brain stem nerve, nervus - any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body first cranial nerve, nervii olfactorii, olfactory nerve - a collective term for numerous olfactory filaments in the nasal mucosa nervus opticus, optic nerve, optic tract, second cranial nerve - the cranial nerve that serves the retina nervus oculomotorius, oculomotor, oculomotor nerve, third cranial nerve - supplies extrinsic muscles of the eye fourth cranial nerve, trochlear, trochlear nerve, trochlearis - either of the two cranial nerves on either side that control the superior oblique muscles of the eyes fifth cranial nerve, nervus trigeminus, trigeminal, trigeminal nerve, trigeminus - the main sensory nerve of the face and motor nerve for the muscles of mastication abducens, abducens nerve, abducent, abducent nerve, nervus abducens, sixth cranial nerve - a small motor nerve supplying the lateral rectus muscle of the eye facial, facial nerve, nervus facialis, seventh cranial nerve - cranial nerve that supplies facial muscles acoustic nerve, auditory nerve, eighth cranial nerve, nervus vestibulocochlearis, vestibulocochlear nerve - a composite sensory nerve supplying the hair cells of the vestibular organ and the hair cells of the cochlea glossopharyngeal nerve, nervus glossopharyngeus, ninth cranial nerve - sensory nerve to the pharynx and back of the tongue; motor fibers innervate muscles that elevate the pharynx and larynx; includes parasympathetic fibers to the otic ganglion nervus vagus, pneumogastric, pneumogastric nerve, tenth cranial nerve, vagus, vagus nerve, wandering nerve - a mixed nerve that supplies the pharynx and larynx and lungs and heart and esophagus and stomach and most of the abdominal viscera accessory nerve, eleventh cranial nerve, nervus accessorius, spinal accessory - arises from two sets of roots (cranial and spinal) that unite to form the nerve hypoglossal, hypoglossal nerve, nervus hypoglosus, twelfth cranial nerve - supplies intrinsic muscles of the tongue and other tongue muscles