Can you name all 12 cranial nerves? If not, don’t worry, because in this blog, we will give you top tips and mnemonic hacks on how to memorize 12 cranial nerves. But before we dive into this, discover the top high-paying travel nursing jobs on SkillGigs and make more money!
What are cranial nerves?
Cranial nerves are a set of 12 paired nerves that emerge directly from the brain rather than the spinal cord and are responsible for sensory and motor functions of the head and neck. This includes smell, vision, hearing, taste, facial movement, etc. Cranial nerves can be sensory, motor or mixed.
List of 12 cranial nerves:
- Olfactory (I) – Smell (sensory)
- Optic (II) – Vision (sensory)
- Oculomotor (III) – Eye movement, pupil constriction (motor)
- Trochlear (IV) – Eye movement (motor)
- Trigeminal (V) – Facial sensation, chewing (both sensory & motor)
- Abducens (VI) – Eye movement (motor)
- Facial (VII) – Facial expressions, taste (both)
- Vestibulocochlear (VIII) – Hearing and balance (sensory)
- Glossopharyngeal (IX) – Taste, swallowing, saliva (both)
- Vagus (X) – Heart, lungs, digestive tract, swallowing, speech (both)
- Accessory (XI) – Shoulder and neck muscles (motor)
- Hypoglossal (XII) – Tongue movement (motor)
Top tips and mnemonics to remember 12 cranial nerves:
It is hard to remember 12 cranial nerves, but worry no more as this mnemonic will help you master 12 cranial nerves:
“Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, AH!”
Oh: O – Olfactory
Oh(2nd): O – Optic
Oh(3rd): O – Oculomotor
To: T – Trochlear
Touch: T – Trigeminal
And: A – Abducens
Feel: F – Facial
Very: V – Vestibulocochlear
Good: G – Glossopharyngeal
Velvet: V – Vagus
A – Accessory
H – Hypoglossal
Mnemonics to understand the functions of 12 (Twelve) cranial nerves
There are set of 12 (Twelve) cranial nerves that send signals between your brain and different parts of your body. Each nerve has sensory, motor or both functions. An easy mnemonic to remember the functions of each cranial nerve is as follows:
“Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More”
S- SENSORY
M- Motor
B- Both
S– Olfactory (Sensory)
S– Optic (Sensory)
M– Oculomotor (Motor)
M– Trochlear (Motor)
B– Trigeminal (Both)
M– Abducens (Motor)
B– Facial (Both)
S– Vestibulocochlear (Sensory)
B– Glossopharyngeal (Both)
B– Vagus (Both)
M– Accessory (Motor)
M– Hypoglossal (Motor)
Additional tips and techniques for memorization of 12 cranial nerves
Chunking: group the nerves into smaller chunks to make memorization easy. For example, breaking 12 nerves into groups of 4.
Storytelling: Another technique for memorizing the 12 cranial nerves is story telling method by creating a story connecting it to a mnemonic word.
Association: One more technique is to link each nerve to an action or sensation you know.
Teach it to someone else: Ask your friend or family member to help you with that, or you can sit in front of a mirror and say it out loud. Make it seem like you are teaching it to the other person.
Visualization technique: Draw a simple head and brain and label each nerve. For example, camera eyes for the optic nerve.
Repetition and flash cards: Use flash cards to recall, as it is the best way to memorize. At front label, note the nerve number or name, and on the back label, the function and sensory/motor type.
Conclusion
Learning the 12 cranial nerves can be difficult, but with the right tips and mnemonic tricks, it can become easier. Mnemonics such as “Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, AH!” and “Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More” can help you remember the cranial nerves and their functions. Now that you know your 12 cranial nerves, it’s time to join SkillGigs! An AI platform that matches you to the top-paying travel nursing contracts. Sign up now and discover the latest travel nursing jobs.
