Anatomy
cranial nerve Audio
cra·ni·al nerve [ kray-nee-ul nerv ]
Subclass of:
Peripheral Nerves
Definitions related to cranial nerves:
  • Any of the 12 paired nerves that originate in the brain stem.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Neural tree organ which is continuous with the brain. Examples: Trochlear nerve, facial nerve.
    Foundational Model of Anatomy
    University of Washington, 2017
  • Twelve pairs of nerves that carry general afferent, visceral afferent, special afferent, somatic efferent, and autonomic efferent fibers.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Twelve pairs of nerves--the cranial nerves--lead directly from the brain to various parts of the head, neck, and trunk. Some of the cranial nerves are involved in the special senses (such as seeing, hearing, and taste), and others control muscles in the face or regulate glands. The nerves are named and numbered (according to their...
    Merck Manuals
    Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
  • Cranial nerve, in vertebrates, any of the paired nerves of the peripheral nervous system that connect the muscles and sense organs of the head and thoracic region directly to the brain. In higher vertebrates (reptiles, birds, mammals) there are 12 pairs of cranial nerves: olfactory (CN I), optic...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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