trigeminal nerve
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Related to nervus trigeminus: fifth cranial nerve
trigeminal
[tri-jem´ĭ-nal]triple.
pertaining to the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve).
trigeminal nerve the fifth cranial nerve; it arises in the pons, is composed of sensory and motor fibers, and has three divisions: ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular. (See anatomic Table of Nerves in the Appendices.) The ophthalmic division supplies sensory fibers to the skin of the upper eyelid, side of the nose, forehead, and anterior half of the scalp. The maxillary division carries sensory impulses from the mucous membranes of the nose, the skin of the cheek and side of the forehead, and the upper lip and upper teeth. The mandibular division carries sensory impulses from the side of the head, chin, mucous membrane of the mouth, lower teeth, and anterior two-thirds of the tongue. (This nerve is sometimes called the great sensory nerve of the head.) The motor fibers are part of the mandibular branch and supply several of the muscles of chewing. Neuralgia of this nerve is the condition known as tic douloureux.
Areas of innervation by each of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
trigeminal nerve
n.
Either of the fifth pair of cranial nerves, being the chief sensory nerve of the face and the motor nerve of the muscles of chewing and having sensory and motor functions in the teeth, mouth, and nasal cavity. Also called trigeminus.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
trigeminal nerve
The 5th of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves and the sensory nerve of the face. Each trigeminal nerve divides into three main branches, the ophthalmic, the maxillary and the mandibular nerves, which then branch to supply the corresponding parts of the face.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005
trigeminal nerve
the fifth cranial nerve of vertebrates, usually possessing opthalmic, mandibular and maxillary branches.Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005