The peripheral nervous system or PNS, is part of the nervous

system, and consists of the nerves and neurons that reside or extend outside the central nervous system (the
brain and spinal cord) to serve the limbs and organs, for example. Unlike the central nervous system,
however, the PNS is not protected by bone or the blood-brain barrier, leaving it exposed to toxins and
mechanical injuries. The peripheral nervous system is divided into the somatic nervous system and the
autonomic nervous system.

I Olfactory nerve Anterior olfactory nucleus Transmits the sense of smell

II Optic nerve Lateral geniculate nucleus Transmits visual information to the brain

Innervates the superior rectus, medial rectus,

Oculomotor nucleus,
III Oculomotor nerve Edinger-Westphal nucleus
inferior rectus, and inferior oblique, which
collectively perform most eye movements

Innervates the superior oblique muscle, which

IV Trochlear nerve Trochlear nucleus depresses, pulls laterally, and intorts the
eyeball

Principal sensory trigeminal

V Trigeminal nerve
nucleus, Spinal trigeminal
Receives sensation from the face and
nucleus, Mesencephalic
innervates the muscles of mastication
trigeminal nucleus,
Trigeminal motor nucleus

Abducent nerve (or Innervates the lateral rectus, which abducts

VI abducens nerve) Abducens nucleus
the eye

VII Facial nerve Facial nucleus, Solitary Provides motor innervation to the muscles of
 facial expression and stapedius, receives the
special sense of taste from the anterior two-
nucleus, Superior salivary
thirds of the tongue, and provides
nucleus
secretomotor innervation to the salivary glands
(except parotid) and the lacrimal gland

Vestibulocochlear nerve
Vestibular nuclei, Cochlear Senses sound, rotation and gravity (essential
VIII (or auditory-vestibular nuclei for balance & movement)
nerve)

Receives taste from the posterior 1/3 of the

IX Glossopharyngeal nerve
Nucleus ambiguus, Inferior
tongue, provides secretomotor innervation to
salivary nucleus, Solitary
the parotid gland, and provides motor
nucleus
innervation to the stylopharyngeus

Supplies branchiomotor innervation to most

laryngeal and pharyngeal muscles; provides
Nucleus ambiguus, Dorsal
parasympathetic fibers to nearly all thoracic
X Vagus nerve motor vagal nucleus, Solitary
and abdominal viscera down to the splenic
nucleus
flexure; and receives the special sense of taste
from the epiglottis

Accessory nerve (or

Nucleus ambiguus, Spinal Controls muscles of the neck and overlaps
XI cranial accessory nerve or accessory nucleus with functions of the vagus
spinal accessory nerve)

Provides motor innervation to the intrinsic

XII Hypoglossal nerve Hypoglossal nucleus muscles of the tongue and other glossal
muscles

The term spinal nerve generally refers to the mixed spinal nerve, which is formed from the dorsal and
ventral roots that come out of the spinal cord. The spinal nerve is the bit that passes out of the
vertebrae through the intervertebral foramen.