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Greater Petrosal Nerve
The greater petrosal nerve (or greater superficial petrosal nerve) is a nerve in the skull that branches from the facial nerve; it forms part of a chain of nerves that innervate the lacrimal gland. The preganglionic parasympathetic axons of this nerve synapse in the pterygopalatine ganglion. Structure Preganglionic parasympathetic fibres arise in the superior salivary nucleus of the pontine tegmentum. They join with general somatic sensory and special sensory fibres to form the nervus intermedius. The nervus intermedius exits the cranial cavity at the internal auditory meatus, and joins with the motor root of the facial nerve at the geniculate ganglion. While preganglionic parasympathetic fibres pass through the geniculate ganglion, they neither synapse, nor have their cell bodies located there. Preganglionic parasympathetic fibres exit the geniculate ganglion as the greater petrosal nerve. It enters the middle cranial fossa through the hiatus of the facial canal, along with the ...
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Parasympathetic Nervous System
The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of the autonomic nervous system, and sometimes considered an independent system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for regulating the body's unconscious actions. The parasympathetic system is responsible for stimulation of "rest-and-digest" or "feed and breed" activities that occur when the body is at rest, especially after eating, including sexual arousal, salivation, lacrimation (tears), urination, digestion, and defecation. Its action is described as being complementary to that of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for stimulating activities associated with the fight-or-flight response. Nerve fibres of the parasympathetic nervous system arise from the central nervous system. Specific nerves include several ...
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Internal Auditory Meatus
The internal auditory meatus (also meatus acusticus internus, internal acoustic meatus, internal auditory canal, or internal acoustic canal) is a canal within the petrous part of the temporal bone of the skull between the posterior cranial fossa and the inner ear. Structure The opening to the meatus is called the porus acusticus internus or internal acoustic opening. It is located inside the posterior cranial fossa of the skull, near the center of the posterior surface of the petrous part of the temporal bone. The size varies considerably. Its outer margins are smooth and rounded. The canal which comprises the internal auditory meatus is short (about 1 cm) and runs laterally into the bone. The lateral (outer) aspect of the canal is known as the fundus. The fundus is subdivided by two thin crests of bone to form three separate canals, through which course the facial and vestibulocochlear nerve branches. The falciform crest first divides the meatus into superior and inferior ...
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Nerve Of The Pterygoid Canal
The nerve of the pterygoid canal (Vidian nerve) is formed by the junction of the greater petrosal nerve and deep petrosal nerve, which passes from the foramen lacerum to the pterygopalatine fossa through the pterygoid canal. Structure The nerve of the pterygoid canal forms from the junction of the greater petrosal nerve and the deep petrosal nerve within the foreamen lacerum. This combined nerve exits the foramen lacerum and travels to the pterygopalatine fossa through the pterygoid canal in the sphenoid. The nerve of the pterygoid canal contains axons of both sympathetic and parasympathetic axons, specifically; *preganglonic parasympathetic axons from the greater petrosal nerve, a branch of the facial nerve (cell bodies are located in the superior salivatory nucleus) *postganglionic sympathetic axons from the deep petrosal nerve, a branch of the internal carotid plexus (cell bodies are located in the superior cervical ganglion) Function The preganglionic parasympathetic axon ...
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Deep Petrosal Nerve
The deep petrosal nerve is a branch of the internal carotid plexus which runs through the carotid canal lateral to the internal carotid artery. It enters the cartilaginous substance which fills the foramen lacerum, and joins with the greater petrosal nerve to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal, also known as the Vidian nerve. The deep petrosal nerve carries postganglionic sympathetic axons to the pterygopalatine ganglion, which pass through without synapsing. These axons innervate blood vessels and mucous glands Mucous gland, also known as muciparous glands, are found in several different parts of the body, and they typically stain lighter than serous glands during standard histological preparation. Most are multicellular, but goblet cells are single- ... of the head and neck. The neuron cell bodies of the axons which form the deep petrosal nerve are found in the superior cervical ganglion. Additional images File:Gray841.png, Sympathetic connections of the pterygopalatin ...
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Pterygoid Canal
The pterygoid canal (also vidian canal) is a passage in the sphenoid bone of the skull leading from just anterior to the foramen lacerum in the middle cranial fossa to the pterygopalatine fossa. Structure The pterygoid canal runs through the medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone to the back wall of the pterygopalatine fossa. Contents It transmits the nerve of pterygoid canal, (Vidian nerve), the artery of the pterygoid canal The artery of the pterygoid canal (or Vidian artery) is an artery in the pterygoid canal, in the head. It usually arises from the external carotid artery, but can arise from either the internal or external carotid artery or serve as an anastomosi ... (Vidian artery), and the vein of the pterygoid canal (Vidian vein). Additional images File:Gray192.png, Medial wall of left orbit. External links * * () References Foramina of the skull {{musculoskeletal-stub ...
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Middle Meningeal Artery
The middle meningeal artery ('' la, arteria meningea media'') is typically the third branch of the first portion of the maxillary artery. After branching off the maxillary artery in the infratemporal fossa, it runs through the foramen spinosum to supply the dura mater (the outer meningeal layer) and the calvaria. The middle meningeal artery is the largest of the three (paired) arteries that supply the meninges, the others being the anterior meningeal artery and the posterior meningeal artery. The anterior branch of the middle meningeal artery runs beneath the pterion. It is vulnerable to injury at this point, where the skull is thin. Rupture of the artery may give rise to an epidural hematoma. In the dry cranium, the middle meningeal, which runs within the dura mater surrounding the brain, makes a deep groove in the calvarium. The middle meningeal artery is intimately associated with the auriculotemporal nerve, which wraps around the artery making the two easily identifiable i ...
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Petrosal Branch Of Middle Meningeal Artery
The petrosal branch of middle meningeal artery enters the hiatus for greater petrosal nerve, supplies the facial nerve and anastomoses with the stylomastoid branch of the posterior auricular artery. See also * stylomastoid artery The stylomastoid artery enters the stylomastoid foramen and supplies the tympanic cavity, the tympanic antrum and mastoid cells, and the semicircular canals. It is a branch of the posterior auricular artery, and thus part of the external caroti ... References Arteries of the head and neck {{circulatory-stub ...
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Hiatus Of The Facial Canal
The hiatus for the greater petrosal nerve is a small hole in the petrous part of the temporal bone which connects the facial canal to the middle cranial fossa. The greater petrosal nerve travels through it to branch from the facial nerve and reach the middle cranial fossa on its way to 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 ne .... Foramina of the skull {{musculoskeletal-stub ...
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Middle Cranial Fossa
The middle cranial fossa, deeper than the anterior cranial fossa, is narrow medially and widens laterally to the sides of the skull. It is separated from the posterior fossa by the clivus and the petrous crest. It is bounded in front by the posterior margins of the lesser wings of the sphenoid bone, the anterior clinoid processes, and the ridge forming the anterior margin of the chiasmatic groove; behind, by the superior angles of the petrous portions of the temporal bones and the dorsum sellæ; laterally by the temporal squamæ, sphenoidal angles of the parietals, and greater wings of the sphenoid. It is traversed by the squamosal, sphenoparietal, sphenosquamosal, and sphenopetrosal sutures. It houses the temporal lobes of the brain and the pituitary gland. A middle fossa craniotomy is one means to surgically remove acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma) growing within the internal auditory canal of the temporal bone. Middle part The middle part of the fossa presents, i ...
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Geniculate Ganglion
The geniculate ganglion (from Latin ''genu'', for "knee") is a collection of pseudounipolar sensory neurons of the facial nerve located in the facial canal of the head. It receives fibers from the facial nerve. It sends fibers that supply the lacrimal glands, submandibular glands, sublingual glands, tongue, palate, pharynx, external auditory meatus, stapedius muscle, posterior belly of the digastric muscle, stylohyoid muscle, and muscles of facial expression. The geniculate ganglion is one of several ganglia of the head and neck. Like the others, it is a bilaterally distributed structure, with each side of the face having a geniculate ganglion. Structure The geniculate ganglion is located close to the internal auditory meatus. It is covered superiorly by the petrous part of the temporal bone (which is sometimes absent over the ganglion). The geniculate ganglion receives fibers from the motor, sensory, and parasympathetic components of the facial nerve. It the contains special ...
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Nervus Intermedius
The intermediate nerve, nervus intermedius, nerve of Wrisberg or Glossopalatine nerve, is the part of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) located between the motor component of the facial nerve and the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII). It contains the sensory and parasympathetic fibers of the facial nerve. Upon reaching the facial canal, it joins with the motor root of the facial nerve at the geniculate ganglion. Alex Alfieri postulates that the intermediate nerve should be considered as a separate cranial nerve and not a part of the facial nerve. Parasympathetic fibers The superior salivatory nucleus contains the cell bodies of parasympathetic axons within the intermediate nerve. These fibers reach the geniculate ganglion but do not synapse. Some of these preganglionic parasympathetic fibers persist within the greater petrosal nerve as they exit the geniculate ganglion and subsequently synapse with neurons in the pterygopalatine ganglion. These postganglionic neuron ...
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Lacrimal Glands
The lacrimal glands are paired exocrine glands, one for each eye, found in most terrestrial vertebrates and some marine mammals, that secrete the aqueous layer of the tear film. In humans, they are situated in the upper lateral region of each orbit, in the lacrimal fossa of the orbit formed by the frontal bone. Inflammation of the lacrimal glands is called dacryoadenitis. The lacrimal gland produces tears which are secreted by the lacrimal ducts, and flow over the ocular surface, and then into canals that connect to the lacrimal sac. From that sac, the tears drain through the lacrimal duct into the nose. Anatomists divide the gland into two sections, a palpebral lobe, or portion, and an orbital lobe or portion. The smaller ''palpebral lobe'' lies close to the eye, along the inner surface of the eyelid; if the upper eyelid is everted, the palpebral portion can be seen. The orbital lobe of the gland, contains fine interlobular ducts that connect the orbital lobe and the palpebra ...
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