What is the facial nerve?
The facial nerve is called the facial nerve (seventh cranial nerve). Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as the seventh cranial nerve.
What it is
- The seventh cranial nerve.
- Supplies the muscles of facial expression.
- Also carries taste from the front two-thirds of the tongue.
Where it is
- Arises from the brainstem at the lower border of the pons.
- Passes through the temporal bone.
- Emerges from the skull near the ear and fans out across the face.
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Last verified: 2026-07-18
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