Special Sensory Afferent

Special sensory afferent include special sensory neurons (e.g., smell, vision, taste, hearing, and equilibrium), mainly conducted by the olfactory, optic, and vestibulocochlear nerves (CNN I, II, and VIII, respectively) as well as by CN VII and CN X.

 

Smell ( See Olfactory System)

Vision

Taste

Hearing

Equilibrium

 

 

 

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CN X

Cranial nerve X is the vagus nerve.
It’s a mixed nerve with motor, sensory, and parasympathetic functions:


Functions of CN X (Vagus nerve)

  1. Motor

    • Muscles of the pharynx (except stylopharyngeus, CN IX)

    • Muscles of the larynx (voice, swallowing)

    • Muscles of the soft palate (except tensor veli palatini, CN Vā‚ƒ)

  2. Sensory

    • Taste from the epiglottis and base of tongue

    • Sensation from the larynx, pharynx, external ear, external auditory canal, and external tympanic membrane

    • Visceral sensation from thoracic and abdominal organs (up to the proximal 2/3 of the transverse colon)

  3. Parasympathetic (autonomic)

    • Parasympathetic fibers to the heart (slows heart rate)

    • Parasympathetic supply to thoracic and abdominal viscera (digestion, peristalsis, glandular secretions)


šŸ‘‰ In short: voice, swallowing, parasympathetic to thoracic/abdominal organs, and sensory from ear, pharynx, larynx, and viscera.

Would you like me to also give you the clinical signs of vagus nerve injury (what happens if CN X is damaged)?

 

 

 

Functional Anatomy

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