Anatomy

Trigeminal Nerve

The 5th and largest cranial nerve. The trigeminal nerve is a mixed motor and sensory nerve. The larger sensory part forms the ophthalmic, mandibular, and maxillary nerves which carry afferents sensitive to external or internal stimuli from the skin, muscles, and joints of the face and mouth and from the teeth. Most of these fibers originate from cells of the TRIGEMINAL GANGLION and project to the TRIGEMINAL NUCLEUS of the brain stem. The smaller motor part arises from the brain stem trigeminal motor nucleus and innervates the muscles of mastication.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

The 5th and largest cranial nerve. The trigeminal nerve is a mixed motor and sensory nerve. The larger sensory part forms the ophthalmic, mandibular, and maxillary nerves which carry afferents sensitive to external or internal stimuli from the skin, muscles, and joints of the face and mouth and from the teeth. Most of these fibers originate from cells of the TRIGEMINAL GANGLION and project to the TRIGEMINAL NUCLEUS of the brain stem. The smaller motor part arises from the brain stem trigeminal motor nucleus and innervates the muscles of mastication.

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Synonyms

12 entry terms
  • Cranial Nerve V
  • Fifth Cranial Nerve
  • Nerve V
  • Nervus Trigeminus
  • Cranial Nerve, Fifth
  • Fifth Cranial Nerves
  • Nerve V, Cranial
  • Nerve Vs
  • Nerve, Fifth Cranial
  • Nerve, Trigeminal
  • Trigeminal Nerves
  • Trigeminus, Nervus

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Aspects Covered

22 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings abnormalities, anatomy & histology, blood supply, chemistry, cytology, diagnostic imaging, drug effects, embryology, enzymology, growth & development, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, parasitology, pathology, physiology, physiopathology, radiation effects, surgery, transplantation, ultrastructure, virology.

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Indexing Annotation

diseases = TRIGEMINAL NERVE DISEASES; neoplasms = TRIGEMINAL NERVE DISEASES + CRANIAL NERVE NEOPLASMS + histological type of neoplasm

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

  1. A08w.800w.800w.120w.760w

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

WL 330

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Trigeminal Nerve. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D014276. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D014276
  2. Trigeminal Nerve. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigeminal_nerve
  3. Trigeminal Nerve. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189763