neuroanatomy Neuroanatomy is the study of the structure and organization of the nervous system. In contrast to animals with radial symmetry, whose nervous system consists of a distributed network of cells, animals with bilateral symmetry have segregated, defin ...

, the mandibular nerve (V) is the largest of the three divisions of the

trigeminal nerve In neuroanatomy, the trigeminal nerve ( lit. ''triplet'' nerve), also known as the fifth cranial nerve, cranial nerve V, or simply CN V, is a cranial nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as biting and chewin ...

, the fifth

cranial nerve Cranial nerves are the nerves that emerge directly from the brain (including the brainstem), of which there are conventionally considered twelve pairs. Cranial nerves relay information between the brain and parts of the body, primarily to and ...

(CN V). Unlike the other divisions of the trigeminal nerve (

ophthalmic nerve The ophthalmic nerve (V1) is a sensory nerve of the face. It is one of three divisions of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It has three branches that provide sensory innervation to the eye, the skin of the upper face, and the skin of the anterior sca ...

maxillary nerve In neuroanatomy, the maxillary nerve (V) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth (CN V) cranial nerve. It comprises the principal functions of sensation from the maxilla, nasal cavity, sinuses, the palate a ...

) which contain only

afferent fibers Afferent nerve fibers are the axons (nerve fibers) carried by a sensory nerve that relay sensory information from sensory receptors to regions of the brain. Afferent projections ''arrive'' at a particular brain region. Efferent nerve fibers ...

, the mandibular nerve contains both afferent and

efferent fibers Efferent nerve fibers refer to axonal projections that ''exit'' a particular region; as opposed to afferent projections that ''arrive'' at the region. These terms have a slightly different meaning in the context of the peripheral nervous syste ...

. These nerve fibers innervate structures of the

lower jaw In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

and face, such as the

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...

lower lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

, and

chin The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm. Evolution The presence of a we ...

. The mandibular nerve also innervates the

muscles of mastication There are four classical muscles of mastication. During mastication, three muscles of mastication (''musculi masticatorii'') are responsible for adduction of the jaw, and one (the lateral pterygoid) helps to abduct it. All four move the jaw late ...

Structure

The large sensory root emerges from the lateral part of the

trigeminal ganglion A trigeminal ganglion (or Gasserian ganglion, or semilunar ganglion, or Gasser's ganglion) is the sensory ganglion at the base of each of the two trigeminal nerves (CN V), occupying a cavity ( Meckel's cave) in the dura mater, covering the trige ...

and exits the

cranial cavity The cranial cavity, also known as intracranial space, is the space within the skull that accommodates the brain. The skull minus the mandible is called the ''cranium''. The cavity is formed by eight cranial bones known as the neurocranium that in ...

through the foramen ovale. Portio minor, the small motor root of the

, passes under the trigeminal ganglion and through the foramen ovale to unite with the sensory root just outside the

skull The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, the ...

. The mandibular nerve immediately passes between

tensor veli palatini The tensor veli palatini muscle (tensor palati or tensor muscle of the velum palatinum) is a broad, thin, ribbon-like muscle in the head that tenses the soft palate. Structure The tensor veli palatini is found anterior-lateral to the levator ve ...

, which is medial, and lateral pterygoid, which is lateral, and gives off a meningeal branch (nervus spinosus) and the

nerve to medial pterygoid The medial pterygoid nerve (or internal pterygoid nerve) is a nerve of the head. It is a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3). It supplies the medial pterygoid muscle, the tensor veli palatini muscle, and the tensor tympani muscle. Structure ...

from its medial side. The nerve then divides into a small anterior and large posterior trunk. The anterior division gives off branches to three major

and a

buccal branch The buccal branches of the facial nerve (infraorbital branches), are of larger size than the rest of the branches, pass horizontally forward to be distributed below the orbit and around the mouth. Branches The ''superficial branches'' run beneath ...

which is sensory to the cheek. The posterior division gives off three main sensory branches, the

auriculotemporal The auriculotemporal nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3) that runs with the superficial temporal artery and vein, and provides sensory innervation to various regions on the side of the head. Structure Origin The auriculotempo ...

, lingual and inferior alveolar nerves and motor fibres to supply mylohyoid and the anterior belly of the digastric muscle.

Branches

The mandibular nerve gives off the following branches: * From the main trunk of the nerve (before the division) ** muscular branches, which are efferent nerves for the medial pterygoid,

tensor tympani The tensor tympani is a muscle within the middle ear, located in the bony canal above the bony part of the auditory tube, and connects to the malleus bone. Its role is to dampen loud sounds, such as those produced from chewing, shouting, or th ...

, and

muscles (motor)Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Fehrenbach and Herring, Elsevier, 2012, page 181 ** meningeal branch (a sensory nerve) * From the anterior division **

masseteric nerve The masseteric nerve is a nerve of the face. It is a branch of the mandibular nerve (V3). It crosses the mandibular notch to reach masseter muscle. It supplies the masseter muscle, and gives sensation to the temporomandibular joint. It may be us ...

(motor) **

deep temporal nerves The deep temporal nerves are two branches of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve that innervate the temporalis. Structure The deep temporal nerves are usually two in number and termed the anterior deep temporal nerve and posterior deep ...

, anterior and posterior (motor) **

buccal nerve The buccal nerve (long buccal nerve) is a nerve in the face. It is a branch of the mandibular nerve (which is itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve) and transmits sensory information from skin over the buccal membrane (in general, the cheek) an ...

(a sensory nerve) **

lateral pterygoid nerve The lateral pterygoid nerve (or external pterygoid nerve) is a branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve. It usually originates as two separate branches that travel near the buccal nerve, and enter the deep surfaces of the superior ...

(motor) * From the posterior division **

auriculotemporal nerve The auriculotemporal nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3) that runs with the superficial temporal artery and vein, and provides sensory innervation to various regions on the side of the head. Structure Origin The auriculotempo ...

(a sensory nerve) **

lingual nerve The lingual nerve carries sensory innervation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. It contains fibres from both the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V3 ) and from the facial nerve (CN VII). The fibres from the trigeminal nerv ...

(a sensory nerve) **

inferior alveolar nerve The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) (also the inferior dental nerve) is a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve. The inferior alveolar nerves supply sensation to the lower teeth. Structure The in ...

(which gives off a motor nerve and a sensory nerve) ***

mental nerve The mental nerve is a sensory nerve of the face. It is a branch of the posterior trunk of the inferior alveolar nerve, itself a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3), itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It provides sensation to the ...

(sensory branch) and the nerve to mylohyoid (motor branch)

Supplies

The mandibular nerve innervates: Anterior Division: (Motor Innervation -

Muscles of mastication There are four classical muscles of mastication. During mastication, three muscles of mastication (''musculi masticatorii'') are responsible for adduction of the jaw, and one (the lateral pterygoid) helps to abduct it. All four move the jaw late ...

) *

Masseteric nerve The masseteric nerve is a nerve of the face. It is a branch of the mandibular nerve (V3). It crosses the mandibular notch to reach masseter muscle. It supplies the masseter muscle, and gives sensation to the temporomandibular joint. It may be us ...

Masseter In human anatomy, the masseter is one of the muscles of mastication. Found only in mammals, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter. The most obvious muscle of mastication is the masseter muscle, since it ...

Medial pterygoid nerve The medial pterygoid nerve (or internal pterygoid nerve) is a nerve of the head. It is a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3). It supplies the medial pterygoid muscle, the tensor veli palatini muscle, and the tensor tympani muscle. Structure ...

** Medial Pterygoid **

Tensor Tympani The tensor tympani is a muscle within the middle ear, located in the bony canal above the bony part of the auditory tube, and connects to the malleus bone. Its role is to dampen loud sounds, such as those produced from chewing, shouting, or th ...

* Tensor Veli Palatini Nerve **

Tensor Veli Palatini The tensor veli palatini muscle (tensor palati or tensor muscle of the velum palatinum) is a broad, thin, ribbon-like muscle in the head that tenses the soft palate. Structure The tensor veli palatini is found anterior-lateral to the levator ve ...

* nervous spinosus (sensory) from foramen spinosum *

Lateral pterygoid nerve The lateral pterygoid nerve (or external pterygoid nerve) is a branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve. It usually originates as two separate branches that travel near the buccal nerve, and enter the deep surfaces of the superior ...

** Lateral pterygoid * Deep temporal nerve **

Temporalis In anatomy, the temporalis muscle, also known as the temporal muscle, is one of the muscles of mastication (chewing). It is a broad, fan-shaped convergent muscle on each side of the head that fills the temporal fossa, superior to the zygomatic a ...

(Sensory Innervation) *

Buccal nerve The buccal nerve (long buccal nerve) is a nerve in the face. It is a branch of the mandibular nerve (which is itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve) and transmits sensory information from skin over the buccal membrane (in general, the cheek) an ...

** Inside of the Cheek (

buccal mucosa The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth. It comprises stratified squamous epithelium, termed "oral epithelium", and an underlying connective tissue termed '' lamina propria''. The oral cavity has sometimes been des ...

)
Posterior Division Lingual Split
(Sensory Innervation - NOT Taste) * Anterior 2/3 of

Tongue The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...

(

mucous membrane A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It is ...

) Inferior Alveolar Split
(Motor Innervation) * Mylohyoid *

Digastric The digastric muscle (also digastricus) (named ''digastric'' as it has two 'bellies') is a small muscle located under the jaw. The term "digastric muscle" refers to this specific muscle. However, other muscles that have two separate muscle belli ...

(Anterior Belly) (Sensory Innervation) *

Teeth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

and Mucoperiosteum of mandibular teeth *

Chin The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm. Evolution The presence of a we ...

and

Lower Lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

Auriculotemporal Split *

Scalp The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the human face at the front, and by the neck at the sides and back. Structure The scalp is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic: * S: The ski ...

( auricula / temporal region)

Additional images

File:Gray784.png, Dermatome distribution of the trigeminal nerve File:Gray790.png, The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck. File:Slide8nnn.JPG, Mandibular nerve File:Mandibular nerve 3.jpg, Mandibular nerve

References

External links

* * * () {{Authority control Trigeminal nerve

Structure

Branches

Supplies

See also

Additional images

References

External links