Nature and Uses of Primary Data Sources Page 1 of 14 ______________________________________________________________________.
cranial nerve - any of the 12 paired nerves that originate in the brain stem. 1  nerve, nervus - any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body. 2  first cranial nerve, nervii olfactorii, olfactory nerve - a collective term for numerous olfactory filaments in the nasal mucosa.
Cranial Nerves. The cranial nerves are nerves that arise from the brain and exit the skull through holes (cranial foramina) at its base rather than through the spinal cord. Peripheral nervous system connections with various organs and structures of the body are established through cranial nerves and spinal nerves. While some cranial nerves contain only sensory neurons, most cranial nerves and all spinal nerves contain both motor and sensory neurons. Function Cranial nerves are responsible for the control of a number of functions in the body. Some of these functions include directing sense and motor impulses, equilibrium control, eye movement and vision, hearing, respiration, swallowing, smelling, facial sensation, and tasting.