Ninth cranial nerve
Ninth Cranial Nerve
The ninth cranial nerve, also known as the glossopharyngeal nerve, is one of the twelve cranial nerves that originate from the brain. It is responsible for various functions including taste, swallowing, and speech.
Anatomy[edit | edit source]
The ninth cranial nerve is a mixed nerve, meaning it contains both sensory and motor fibers. It originates from the medulla oblongata, a part of the brainstem, and extends to the pharynx and tongue.
Function[edit | edit source]
The glossopharyngeal nerve has several functions:
- Sensory: It carries sensory information from the posterior third of the tongue, including taste sensations. It also carries sensory information from the tonsils, the pharynx, and the middle ear.
- Motor: It provides motor innervation to the stylopharyngeus muscle, which is involved in swallowing.
- Parasympathetic: It carries parasympathetic fibers to the parotid gland, stimulating saliva production.
Clinical significance[edit | edit source]
Damage to the ninth cranial nerve can result in a variety of symptoms, including loss of taste, difficulty swallowing, and loss of gag reflex. This can be caused by a number of conditions, such as neuralgia, tumors, or stroke.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD