While most nerves come from the spinal cord, 12 pairs of cranial nerves (CN I-XII) emerge directly from the brain and leave the cranial cavity through several foramina to innervate (mainly) the head and neck. All the nerves are associated with nuclei in the brainstem, except the olfactory nerve (CN I) which projects from the periphery into the olfactory bulb and the optic nerve (CN II) which is an extension of the diencephalon (posterior forebrain).

Nerve: Oh Oh Oh, to touch and feel very good velvet, such heaven!

Modality (sensory/motor/both): Some say mary money but my brother says big brains matter more

Mnemonic (cranial nerves)

Nerve	Foramen	Function
I: olfactory	cribriform plate	smell
II: optic	optic canal	sight
III: oculomotor	superior orbital fissure (SOF)	motor: most extraocular muscles parasympathetic: sphincter pupillae, ciliary m.
IV: trochlear	SOF	superior oblique m.
V: trigeminal	Va: SOF Vb: foramen rotundum Vc: foramen ovale	sensory: head & neck, sinuses, meninges, external tympanic membrane surface motor: mastication, tensor tympani (V3) sympathetic: dilator pupillae (V1)
VI: abducens	SOF	lateral rectus m.
VII: facial	internal auditory meatus (IAM)	sensory: ear and tympanic membrane, taste to ant. 2/3 of tongue motor: facial expressions, stapedius parasympathetic: head glands (except parotid)
VIII: vestibulocochlear	IAM	hearing and balance
IX: glossopharyngeal	jugular foramen	sensory: taste & general sensation to posterior 1/3 of tongue, internal tympanic membrane surface motor: stylopharyngeus m. parasympathetic: parotid
X: vagus	jugular foramen	sensory: ext. ear, pharynx, larynx, viscera, taste to valleculae & epiglottis motor: pharynx, larynx parasympathetic: neck, thorax & abdomen
XI: accessory	jugular foramen	Crainial root: joins vagus nerve, likely supplies palate Spinal root: trapezius & sternocleidomastoid m.
XII: hypoglossal	hypoglossal canal	tongue muscles except palatoglossus