12 Cranial Nerves and Their Functions

Nerves emerge as spinal nerves from segments of the spinal cord. Cranial nerves emerge directly and without “detour” via the spinal cord from the bony skull because they supply cranial structures or fulfil specific functions. As the 31 pairs of spinal nerves, they are considered components of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The cranial nerves I and II are exceptions since they do not emerge from the brain and therefore are not considered peripheral nerves. During medical studies, cranial nerves are an essential element of the subjects of the brain and the nervous system. In the following, you will find a concise overview of the classification, the functions and the course of the 12 cranial nerves.