Anatomy · Head and Neck

Facial nerve: course, branches and applied anatomy

6 min read

Facial nerve: 7th cranial nerve, mixed but predominantly motor, supplying the muscles of facial expression.
It is the most frequently paralysed of all the peripheral nerves in the body.

Functional Components and Nuclei

Functional components of the facial nerve

Component	Nucleus of origin	Distribution
SVE	Motor nucleus of facial nerve, in the pons	Muscles of facial expression
GVE (parasympathetic)	Lacrimatory and superior salivatory nuclei	Secretomotor to lacrimal, submandibular and sublingual glands
SVA	Nucleus of tractus solitarius (gustatory nucleus)	Taste, anterior two-thirds of tongue except vallate papillae
GSA	Spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve	General sensation, skin of the auricle

Component

SVE

Nucleus of origin: Motor nucleus of facial nerve, in the pons
Distribution: Muscles of facial expression

GVE (parasympathetic)

Nucleus of origin: Lacrimatory and superior salivatory nuclei
Distribution: Secretomotor to lacrimal, submandibular and sublingual glands

SVA

Nucleus of origin: Nucleus of tractus solitarius (gustatory nucleus)
Distribution: Taste, anterior two-thirds of tongue except vallate papillae

GSA

Nucleus of origin: Spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve
Distribution: General sensation, skin of the auricle