Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Neuroanatomy, Cranial Nerve 7 (Facial)

Dominika Dulak  1 , Imama A. Naqvi  2
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

Neuroanatomy, Cranial Nerve 7 (Facial)

Dominika Dulak et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

The facial nerve is the seventh cranial nerve (CN VII). It arises from the brain stem and extends posteriorly to the abducens nerve and anteriorly to the vestibulocochlear nerve. It courses through the facial canal in the temporal bone and exits through the stylomastoid foramen after which it divides into terminal branches at the posterior edge of the parotid gland. The facial nerve provides motor innervation of facial muscles that are responsible for facial expression, parasympathetic innervation of the glands of the oral cavity and the lacrimal gland, and sensory innervation of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Dominika Dulak declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Imama Naqvi declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Similar articles

  • Trigeminal Neuropathy.
    Veerapaneni KD, Kapoor N, Veerapaneni P, Lui F, Nalleballe K. Veerapaneni KD, et al. 2024 Mar 1. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. 2024 Mar 1. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: 32310586 Free Books & Documents.
  • The anatomy of the facial nerve.
    Monkhouse WS. Monkhouse WS. Ear Nose Throat J. 1990 Oct;69(10):677-83, 686-7. Ear Nose Throat J. 1990. PMID: 2286163 Review.
  • Anatomy, Head and Neck, Chorda Tympani.
    Rao A, Tadi P. Rao A, et al. 2023 Mar 4. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. 2023 Mar 4. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: 31536194 Free Books & Documents.
  • Foville Syndrome.
    Khazaal O, Marquez DL, Naqvi IA. Khazaal O, et al. 2024 Feb 26. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. 2024 Feb 26. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: 31334988 Free Books & Documents.
  • The facial nerve: anatomy and common pathology.
    Phillips CD, Bubash LA. Phillips CD, et al. Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 2002 Jun;23(3):202-17. doi: 10.1016/s0887-2171(02)90047-8. Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 2002. PMID: 12168997 Review.
See all similar articles

References

    1. Takezawa K, Townsend G, Ghabriel M. The facial nerve: anatomy and associated disorders for oral health professionals. Odontology. 2018 Apr;106(2):103-116. - PubMed
    1. Sanders RD. The Trigeminal (V) and Facial (VII) Cranial Nerves: Head and Face Sensation and Movement. Psychiatry (Edgmont) 2010 Jan;7(1):13-6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Seneviratne SO, Patel BC. StatPearls [Internet] StatPearls Publishing; Treasure Island (FL): 2023. May 23, Facial Nerve Anatomy and Clinical Applications. - PubMed
    1. Myckatyn TM, Mackinnon SE. A review of facial nerve anatomy. Semin Plast Surg. 2004 Feb;18(1):5-12. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gordin E, Lee TS, Ducic Y, Arnaoutakis D. Facial nerve trauma: evaluation and considerations in management. Craniomaxillofac Trauma Reconstr. 2015 Mar;8(1):1-13. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources