Brain: Superior salivary nucleus
Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves. (Nucleus salivatorius visible at upper left.)
Latin	nucleus salivatorius superior
Gray's	subject #191 861
NeuroNames	hier-585
MeSH	n_11
NeuroLex ID	birnlex_1131

The Superior salivary nucleus (or superior salivatory nucleus) of the facial nerve is a visceromotor cranial nerve nucleus located in the pontine tegmentum.

Parasympathetic efferent fibers of the facial nerve (preganglionic fibers) arise according to some authors from the small cells of the facial nucleus, or according to others from a special nucleus of cells scattered in the reticular formation, dorso-medial to the facial nucleus. This is sometimes called the superior salivatory nucleus.

These preganglionic fibers are distributed partly via the chorda tympani and lingual nerves to the submandibular ganglion, thence by postganglionic (vasodilator) fibers to the submandibular gland and sublingual gland.

Some of the preganglionic fibers pass to the pterygopalatine ganglion via the greater petrosal nerve.

The term "lacrimal nucleus" is sometimes used to refer to a portion of the superior salivary nucleus.^[1]

Contents 1 See also 2 Additional images 3 References 4 External links

[edit] See also

• Inferior salivary nucleus
• Facial nerve
• Cranial nerves

[edit] Additional images

The cranial nerve nuclei schematically represented; dorsal view. Motor nuclei in red; sensory in blue.

Nuclei of origin of cranial motor nerves schematically represented; lateral view.

[edit] References

1. ^ NeuroNames ancil-329

[edit] External links

• Brainstem at UWisc 15Salivatory
• Diagram (look for #3)
• Diagram
• Cluster Headache Pathogenesis

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

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v • d • e Human brain, rhombencephalon, metencephalon: pons (TA A14.1.05.101-604, GA 9.785) Dorsal/ (tegmentum) Surface Cerebellopontine angle · Superior medullary velum · Sulcus limitans · Medial eminence · Facial colliculus White: Sensory/ascending Trapezoid body/VIII · Trigeminal lemniscus (Dorsal trigeminal tract, Ventral trigeminal tract) · Medial lemniscus · Lateral lemniscus MLF, III, IV and VI: Vestibulo-oculomotor fibers Anterior trigeminothalamic tract · Central tegmental tract White: Motor/descending ICP (Vestibulocerebellar tract) MLF, III, IV and VI: Vestibulospinal tract (Medial vestibulospinal tract, Lateral vestibulospinal tract) Grey: Cranial nuclei afferent: GSA: Principal V/Spinal V · VIII-c (Dorsal, Anterior)/VIII-v (Superior) efferent: SVE: Motor V  · VII · GSE: VI · GVE: VII: Superior salivary nucleus Other grey Apneustic center · Pneumotaxic center (Medial parabrachial nucleus) · Lateral parabrachial nucleus · Superior olivary nucleus · Caerulean nucleus Ventral/ (base) Grey Pontine nuclei White: Motor/descending Corticospinal tract · Corticobulbar tract · Corticopontine fibers MCP (Pontocerebellar fibers) Surface Basilar sulcus Other grey: Raphe/ reticular Reticular formation (Caudal, Oral, Tegmental, Paramedian) · Raphe nuclei (Median)

v • d • e Nerves of head and neck: the cranial nerves and nuclei (TA A14.2.01, GA 9.855) olfactory (AON->I) olfactory bulb · olfactory tract optic (LGN->II) optic chiasm · optic tract oculomotor (ON, EWN->III) superior branch (parasympathetic root of ciliary ganglion/ciliary ganglion) · inferior branch trochlear (TN->IV) no significant branches trigeminal (PSN,TSN,MN,TMN->V) trigeminal ganglion • ophthalmic • maxillary • mandibular abducens (AN->VI) no significant branches facial (FMN,SN,SSN->VII) near origin nervus intermedius • geniculate inside facial canal greater petrosal (pterygopalatine ganglion) · nerve to the stapedius · chorda tympani (lingual nerve, submandibular ganglion) at stylomastoid foramen posterior auricular · suprahyoid (digastric, stylohyoid) · parotid plexus (temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, cervical) vestibulocochlear (VN, CN->VIII) cochlear (striae medullares, lateral lemniscus) • vestibular (Scarpa's ganglion) glossopharyngeal (NA, ISN, SN->IX) before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa tympanic (tympanic plexus, lesser petrosal, otic ganglion) • stylopharyngeal branch • pharyngeal branches • tonsillar branches • lingual branches • carotid sinus vagus (NA, DNVN, SN->X) before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa meningeal branch · auricular branch neck pharyngeal branch (pharyngeal plexus) · superior laryngeal (external, internal) · recurrent laryngeal (inferior) · superior cervical cardiac thorax inferior cardiac · pulmonary · vagal trunks (anterior, posterior) abdomen celiac · renal · hepatic · anterior gastric · posterior gastric accessory (NA,SAN->XI) cranial · spinal hypoglossal (HN->XII) lingual branches