Inferior Surface of the Brain Showing the Origin of the Cranial Nerves
By convention, the 12 cranial nerves are indicated by Roman numerals (I - XII) from anterior to posterior. The three general categories of cranial nerve function are (1) sensory, (2) somatic motor, and (3) parasympathetic. Sensory functions include the special senses such as vision and the more general senses such as touch and pain. Somatic motor functions refer to the control of skeletal muscles through motor neurons. Parasympathetic functions include regulation of glands and smooth muscles, such as salivary and lacrimal glands