Nerve
Olfactory nerve (CN I)
Sense of smell
High-yield
Purely sensory (smell); fibres pass through the cribriform plate of the ethmoid. Cribriform fracture → anosmia and CSF rhinorrhea.
Overview
The first cranial nerve, carrying the special sense of smell from the nasal mucosa through the cribriform plate to the olfactory bulb.
Reference facts
- Roots
Special sensory (cranial nerve)
- Course
Olfactory receptor neurons in the nasal roof project through the cribriform plate to the olfactory bulb and tract
- Motor
None
- Sensory
Smell (olfaction) from the nasal mucosa