The pharyngeal nerve is a small branch of the
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 palat ...
, arising from the posterior part of the
pterygopalatine ganglion
The pterygopalatine ganglion (aka Meckel's ganglion, nasal ganglion, or sphenopalatine ganglion) is a parasympathetic ganglion found in the pterygopalatine fossa. It is largely innervated by the greater petrosal nerve (a branch of the facial n ...
.
It passes through the
palatovaginal canal
The palatovaginal canal (also pharyngeal canal) is a canal between the sphenoid bone and the palatine bone that connects the nasopharynx with the pterygopalatine fossa. It transmits the pharyngeal branch of the third part of the maxillary artery ...
with the pharyngeal branch of the
maxillary artery
The maxillary artery supplies deep structures of the face. It branches from the external carotid artery just deep to the neck of the mandible.
Structure
The maxillary artery, the larger of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery, ...
, and is distributed to the
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 i ...
of the
nasal part of the pharynx, behind the
auditory tube
Auditory means of or relating to the process of hearing:
* Auditory system, the neurological structures and pathways of sound perception
** Auditory bulla, part of auditory system found in mammals other than primates
** Auditory nerve, also known ...
.
See also
*
Pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve
The pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve, the principal motor nerve of the pharynx, arises from the upper part of the ganglion nodosum, and consists principally of filaments from the cranial portion of the accessory nerve.
It passes across the i ...
References
External links
Trigeminal nerve
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