anatomy68 cardsCollege

Cranial nerve flashcards

68 free flashcards for the 12 cranial nerves: number to name and back, sensory, motor or both, and what each one does, checked against OpenStax A&P.

Every card checked against the sources below.

Download .txt

What’s in the deck

  • Number to name and name to number for all twelve, so you can answer either way round.
  • Sensory, motor or both: three are sensory, five are motor and four are both.
  • The main job of each nerve, from smell (CN I) to moving the tongue (CN XII).

Watch out: CN III moves four of the six muscles that turn the eye, not only the eyelid, and CN V carries feeling from the face as well as working the chewing muscles.

How to study it

  • Order first: get the twelve names in order before the functions, since every other card hangs on the number.
  • Spread it out: a few minutes on spaced days beats one long session. The guide to memorizing the cranial nerves has classroom-safe mnemonics and how each nerve is tested.

All 68 cards, with answers

  1. 1
    What is the name of cranial nerve I (CN I)?
    Olfactory nerve
  2. 2
    What is the Roman numeral for the olfactory nerve?
    CN I
  3. 3
    Is cranial nerve I sensory, motor, or both?
    Sensory
  4. 4
    What is the primary function of the olfactory nerve (CN I)?
    Sense of smell (olfaction)
  5. 5
    What is the name of cranial nerve II (CN II)?
    Optic nerve
  6. 6
    What is the Roman numeral for the optic nerve?
    CN II
  7. 7
    Is cranial nerve II sensory, motor, or both?
    Sensory
  8. 8
    What is the primary function of the optic nerve (CN II)?
    Vision
  9. 9
    What is the name of cranial nerve III (CN III)?
    Oculomotor nerve
  10. 10
    What is the Roman numeral for the oculomotor nerve?
    CN III
  11. 11
    Is cranial nerve III sensory, motor, or both?
    Motor
  12. 12
    Which muscles does the oculomotor nerve (CN III) supply?
    Four of the six eye muscles (superior, inferior and medial rectus, and inferior oblique) plus the levator palpebrae superioris, which lifts the upper eyelid
  13. 13
    What parasympathetic functions are carried out by the oculomotor nerve (CN III)?
    Pupillary constriction (sphincter pupillae) and lens accommodation (ciliary muscle)
  14. 14
    What is the name of cranial nerve IV (CN IV)?
    Trochlear nerve
  15. 15
    What is the Roman numeral for the trochlear nerve?
    CN IV
  16. 16
    Is cranial nerve IV sensory, motor, or both?
    Motor
  17. 17
    Which extraocular muscle is innervated by the trochlear nerve (CN IV)?
    Superior oblique muscle
  18. 18
    What is the name of cranial nerve V (CN V)?
    Trigeminal nerve
  19. 19
    What is the Roman numeral for the trigeminal nerve?
    CN V
  20. 20
    Is cranial nerve V sensory, motor, or both?
    Both
  21. 21
    What are the three main branches of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)?
    Ophthalmic (V1), Maxillary (V2), and Mandibular (V3)
  22. 22
    Which branch of the trigeminal nerve carries motor fibers?
    Mandibular branch (V3)
  23. 23
    Which muscle group responsible for chewing is innervated by CN V3?
    Muscles of mastication
  24. 24
    What is the main sensory job of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)?
    Feeling (touch, pain and temperature) from the face, through its three branches
  25. 25
    What is the name of cranial nerve VI (CN VI)?
    Abducens nerve
  26. 26
    What is the Roman numeral for the abducens nerve?
    CN VI
  27. 27
    Is cranial nerve VI sensory, motor, or both?
    Motor
  28. 28
    Which extraocular muscle is innervated by the abducens nerve (CN VI)?
    Lateral rectus muscle
  29. 29
    What is the action of the lateral rectus muscle innervated by CN VI?
    Abduction of the eyeball (lateral gaze)
  30. 30
    What is the name of cranial nerve VII (CN VII)?
    Facial nerve
  31. 31
    What is the Roman numeral for the facial nerve?
    CN VII
  32. 32
    Is cranial nerve VII sensory, motor, or both?
    Both
  33. 33
    What major group of somatic muscles is innervated by the facial nerve (CN VII)?
    Muscles of facial expression
  34. 34
    Which nerve mediates taste sensation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?
    Facial nerve (CN VII, via chorda tympani)
  35. 35
    Which salivary glands receive parasympathetic innervation from the facial nerve (CN VII)?
    Submandibular and sublingual glands
  36. 36
    What is the name of cranial nerve VIII (CN VIII)?
    Vestibulocochlear nerve
  37. 37
    What is the Roman numeral for the vestibulocochlear nerve?
    CN VIII
  38. 38
    Is cranial nerve VIII sensory, motor, or both?
    Sensory
  39. 39
    Which division of CN VIII is responsible for hearing?
    Cochlear division
  40. 40
    Which division of CN VIII is responsible for balance and equilibrium?
    Vestibular division
  41. 41
    What is the name of cranial nerve IX (CN IX)?
    Glossopharyngeal nerve
  42. 42
    What is the Roman numeral for the glossopharyngeal nerve?
    CN IX
  43. 43
    Is cranial nerve IX sensory, motor, or both?
    Both
  44. 44
    Which cranial nerve provides both taste and general sensation to the posterior one-third of the tongue?
    Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
  45. 45
    Which salivary gland receives parasympathetic secretomotor innervation from CN IX?
    Parotid gland
  46. 46
    Which solitary pharyngeal muscle is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)?
    Stylopharyngeus muscle
  47. 47
    What is the name of cranial nerve X (CN X)?
    Vagus nerve
  48. 48
    What is the Roman numeral for the vagus nerve?
    CN X
  49. 49
    Is cranial nerve X sensory, motor, or both?
    Both
  50. 50
    Which cranial nerve supplies parasympathetic innervation to the thoracic and abdominal viscera up to the splenic flexure?
    Vagus nerve (CN X)
  51. 51
    Which cranial nerve innervates the intrinsic muscles of the larynx responsible for vocalization?
    Vagus nerve (CN X, via recurrent and superior laryngeal nerves)
  52. 52
    What is the name of cranial nerve XI (CN XI)?
    Accessory nerve
  53. 53
    What is the Roman numeral for the accessory nerve?
    CN XI
  54. 54
    Is cranial nerve XI sensory, motor, or both?
    Motor
  55. 55
    Which two neck and shoulder muscles are innervated by the accessory nerve (CN XI)?
    Sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles
  56. 56
    What is the name of cranial nerve XII (CN XII)?
    Hypoglossal nerve
  57. 57
    What is the Roman numeral for the hypoglossal nerve?
    CN XII
  58. 58
    Is cranial nerve XII sensory, motor, or both?
    Motor
  59. 59
    What is the primary motor function of the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)?
    Innervation of intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles (except palatoglossus)
  60. 60
    The purely sensory cranial nerves are _____, CN II, and CN VIII.
    CN I
  61. 61
    The purely sensory cranial nerves are CN I, _____, and CN VIII.
    CN II
  62. 62
    The purely sensory cranial nerves are CN I, CN II, and _____.
    CN VIII
  63. 63
    The cranial nerves containing both sensory and motor fibers are _____, CN VII, CN IX, and CN X.
    CN V
  64. 64
    The cranial nerves containing both sensory and motor fibers are CN V, _____, CN IX, and CN X.
    CN VII
  65. 65
    The cranial nerves containing both sensory and motor fibers are CN V, CN VII, _____, and CN X.
    CN IX
  66. 66
    The four cranial nerves carrying parasympathetic autonomic fibers are _____, CN VII, CN IX, and CN X.
    CN III
  67. 67
    The four cranial nerves carrying parasympathetic autonomic fibers are CN III, _____, CN IX, and CN X.
    CN VII
  68. 68
    The four cranial nerves carrying parasympathetic autonomic fibers are CN III, CN VII, _____, and CN X.
    CN IX

Studying in Anki or Quizlet?

  1. Copy all the cards, or download the .txt.
  2. Quizlet: paste them into its import box. It reads Tab between term and definition.
  3. Anki: File, then Import, and pick the .txt file.

learn it before you drill it

The guide behind this deck: the full list, the tricks that make it stick and a schedule.

memorize it

How to memorize the 12 cranial nerves (and what each one does)

The 12 cranial nerves in order, which are sensory, motor or both, what each does, where it leaves the skull and how nurses test it, with clean mnemonics and a deck.

68 flashcards6 min

Checked against

  1. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 13.4 The Peripheral Nervous System, OpenStax
  2. Summary of the Cranial Nerves, TeachMeAnatomy
  3. Cranial Foramina, TeachMeAnatomy
  4. The Facial Nerve (CN VII), TeachMeAnatomy
  5. The Glossopharyngeal Nerve (CN IX), TeachMeAnatomy
  6. Extraocular muscle nerve supply (mnemonic), Radiopaedia
  7. Rule of 4 of the brainstem, Radiopaedia
  8. How to learn anatomy with mnemonics, Kenhub
  9. Trigeminal nerve: where branches exit the skull, Knowmedge
  10. Nursing Skills, 6.5 Assessing Cranial Nerves, Open RN
  11. Anatomy and Physiology Learning Outcomes, revised fall 2019 (PDF), Human Anatomy & Physiology Society
  12. What's on the MCAT Exam? (PDF), AAMC
  13. Creating head space: using spaced retrieval practice to teach cranial nerves to graduate SLP students (Johnson, Michalek and Richels, 2019), Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders
  14. Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques (Dunlosky et al., 2013), Psychological Science in the Public Interest

more decks

anatomy

Blood flow through the heart flashcards

27 free flashcards that walk blood through the heart in order: every chamber, valve and vessel, and where the blood is oxygen-rich or oxygen-poor.

27 cardsCollege

biochemistry

Amino acid flashcards

106 free flashcards for the 20 amino acids: one- and three-letter codes both ways, side-chain classes and the nine essential ones, checked against IUPAC.

106 cardsCollege

chemistry

Polyatomic ion flashcards

65 free flashcards for the 25 common polyatomic ions: name to formula and charge, and formula to name, checked against OpenStax Chemistry 2e.

65 cardsHigh school and college

Flashcards that keep your apps locked until you study

Get the app