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Nerves
Nerves carry motor commands out to muscle and return sensory information from the skin, joints, and deeper tissues. The peripheral nerves of the limbs arise from plexuses formed by spinal nerve roots, while the twelve cranial nerves arise directly from the brain and brainstem. This hub also lists the autonomic ganglia and plexuses, the dermatomes, and the tracts of the spinal cord that the nerves feed.
Every nerve, ganglion, plexus, dermatome and tract in the AnatoMemory reference is listed below, grouped by body region. Each card covers the roots or origin, course, motor and sensory territory, and the injury patterns exams test most often.
84 nerves, grouped by region
Focused collections: Cranial nerves and Brachial plexus.
Upper limb
9- Axillary nerveMotor and sensory supply around the deltoid
- Brachial plexusNetwork that redistributes upper-limb nerve fibers
- Long thoracic nerveLong surface route to serratus anterior
- Median nerveMajor nerve for forearm flexor muscles and thumb control
- Musculocutaneous nerveArm motor supply that continues to forearm skin
- Radial nerveMajor supply to the posterior arm and forearm
- Suprascapular nerveNerve linking two posterior rotator-cuff muscles
- Thoracodorsal nervePosterior-cord route to latissimus dorsi
- Ulnar nerveFine hand control and little-finger-side sensation
Lower limb
12- Common fibular (peroneal) nerveSciatic branch vulnerable where it curves around the fibular neck
- Deep fibular (peroneal) nerveNerve for ankle dorsiflexion and the first dorsal toe web
- Femoral nerveLumbar-plexus nerve supplying knee extension and anterior thigh sensation
- Inferior gluteal nerveSacral-plexus motor route to gluteus maximus
- Lateral femoral cutaneous nerveCutaneous nerve for the outer and front-outer thigh
- Obturator nerveLumbar-plexus nerve serving most thigh adductors
- Pudendal nerveSomatic nerve carrying perineal sensation and sphincter control
- Saphenous nerveFemoral sensory branch extending along the medial leg
- Sciatic nerveLarge sacral-plexus nerve containing tibial and fibular divisions
- Superficial fibular (peroneal) nerveLateral-leg motor nerve continuing into dorsal foot skin branches
- Superior gluteal nerveNerve to gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae
- Tibial nerveMain nerve to posterior leg muscles and the plantar foot
Thorax
7- Cardiac plexusAutonomic and sensory routes entering the heart
- Greater splanchnic nerveThoracic sympathetic fibers continuing to the upper abdomen
- Intercostal nervesSegmental nerves supplying the chest and abdominal walls
- Phrenic nerveCervical nerve that drives each half of the diaphragm
- Pulmonary plexusNerve connections around the lung roots
- Sympathetic trunkLinked ganglia extending along both sides of the spine
- Thoracic splanchnic nervesVisceral pathways whose fiber type depends on the named group
Abdomen
9- Anterior vagal trunkVagal fibers reaching the front of the abdominal esophagus
- Celiac ganglionPrevertebral sympathetic relay beside the celiac artery
- Celiac plexusAutonomic network around the upper abdominal aorta
- Enteric nervous systemLocal sensory and motor circuits within the digestive tract
- Genitofemoral nerveLumbar-plexus nerve with genital and upper-thigh branches
- Iliohypogastric nerveL1 pathway to the suprapubic wall and lateral buttock
- Ilioinguinal nerveGroin sensory nerve accompanying part of the inguinal canal
- Lumbar plexusA nerve network embedded in the posterior part of psoas
- Posterior vagal trunkRight-predominant vagal pathway behind the abdominal esophagus
Pelvis
2Back
8- Cauda equinaDescending nerve roots below the end of the spinal cord
- DermatomesOverlapping skin regions linked to spinal sensory roots
- Dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathwayAscending pathway for precise touch and body-position awareness
- Dorsal root ganglionCluster of primary sensory neuron cell bodies on a spinal root
- Lateral corticospinal tractDescending cortical pathway important for skilled limb movement
- Spinal nerveShort nerve trunk joining sensory and motor root fibers
- Spinocerebellar tractsPathways informing the cerebellum about limb position and spinal activity
- Spinothalamic tractAscending anterolateral pathway for pain, temperature and coarse touch
Head & neck
37- Abducens nerve (CN VI)Motor nerve that turns the eye outward
- Accessory nerve (CN XI)Motor supply for head turning and shoulder support
- Ansa cervicalisCervical nerve loop supplying three strap muscles
- Auriculotemporal nerveV3 sensory pathway carrying fibers to the parotid
- Cerebellar pedunclesInput and output bundles linking cerebellum and brainstem
- Cervical plexusUpper cervical network for neck sensation and movement
- Chorda tympaniFacial nerve branch for anterior tongue taste and saliva
- Ciliary ganglionOrbital parasympathetic relay for pupil and lens control
- Corticobulbar tractDescending commands for head and neck movement
- Facial nerve (CN VII)One nerve serving expression, taste and secretion
- FornixHippocampal connections within the memory network
- Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)Sensory, secretory and swallowing pathways of CN IX
- Greater occipital nerveA posterior-ramus route to the occipital scalp
- Greater petrosal nerveFacial-nerve fibers for tears and mucous secretion
- Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)The main cranial motor pathway to the tongue
- Inferior alveolar nerveA mandibular pathway that divides into dental and mental branches
- Lesser petrosal nerveThe otic-ganglion route for parotid secretion
- Lingual nerveGeneral tongue sensation with accompanying facial-nerve fibers
- Mandibular nerve (V3)Trigeminal sensation together with first-arch motor supply
- Maxillary nerve (V2)The trigeminal route through the pterygopalatine fossa
- Medial longitudinal fasciculusA link between eye and head movement pathways
- Oculomotor nerve (CN III)Motor and parasympathetic pathways to the eye
- Olfactory nerve (CN I)Receptor axons connecting the nose to the olfactory bulb
- Ophthalmic nerve (V1)Trigeminal sensation from the eye and upper face
- Optic nerve (CN II)Retinal output carried toward the brain
- Otic ganglionA parasympathetic station on the parotid pathway
- Pterygopalatine ganglionParasympathetic output to tears and mucosal glands
- Recurrent laryngeal nerveVagal motor and sensory supply returning to the larynx
- Stellate (cervicothoracic) ganglionA sympathetic ganglion at the neck–thorax junction
- Submandibular ganglionThe facial-nerve relay for two major salivary glands
- Superior cervical ganglionA major sympathetic relay for the head
- Superior laryngeal nerveTwo vagal branches with different laryngeal roles
- Trigeminal ganglionSensory cell bodies for most trigeminal afferents
- Trigeminal nerve (CN V)Three sensory divisions with motor output through V3
- Trochlear nerve (CN IV)A crossed brainstem motor pathway to superior oblique
- Vagus nerve (CN X)Mixed cranial pathways extending into chest and abdomen
- Vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)Auditory and vestibular connections with the brainstem