Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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 digastric branch of facial nerve provides motor innervation to the posterior belly of the digastric muscle. [1] [2] It branches from the facial nerve (CN VII) near to the stylomastoid foramen [1] as the CN VII exits the facial canal (it thus branches proximal to the parotid plexus of facial nerve). [2]
Branches of the facial nerve leaving the facial motor nucleus (FMN) for the muscles do so via both left and right posterior (dorsal) and anterior (ventral) routes. In other words, this means lower motor neurons of the facial nerve can leave either from the left anterior, left posterior, right anterior or right posterior facial motor nucleus.
It contains the sensory and parasympathetic fibers of the facial nerve. Upon reaching the facial canal, it joins with the motor root of the facial nerve at the geniculate ganglion. Alex Alfieri postulates that the intermediate nerve should be considered as a separate cranial nerve and not a part of the facial nerve. [4]
The facial nerve exits the cranial cavity through the internal acoustic meatus and enters the facial canal. Within the facial canal, chorda tympani branches off the facial nerve and enters the lateral wall of the tympanic cavity within the middle ear, where it runs across the tympanic membrane (from posterior to anterior) and medial to the neck ...
The temporal branch of the facial nerve is typically found between the temporoparietal fascia (i.e., superficial temporal fascia) and temporal fascia (i.e., deep temporal fascia). This layer is also known as the innominate fascia. There are several methods using anatomic landmarks that may be used to find the temporal branch of the facial nerve.
The zygomatic branches of the facial nerve (malar branches) are nerves of the face. They run across the zygomatic bone to the lateral angle of the orbit . Here, they supply the orbicularis oculi muscle , and join with filaments from the lacrimal nerve and the zygomaticofacial branch of the maxillary nerve (CN V 2 ).
The corticobulbar (or corticonuclear) tract is a two-neuron white matter motor pathway connecting the motor cortex in the cerebral cortex to the medullary pyramids, which are part of the brainstem's medulla oblongata (also called "bulbar") region, and are primarily involved in carrying the motor function of the non-oculomotor cranial nerves, like muscles of the face, head and neck.