Humans have a total of 12 pairs of cranial nerves:
| Cranial nerve | Name | Summarized main function |
|---|---|---|
| I | Nervus olfactorius | Sense of smell |
| II | Nervus opticus | Visual perception |
| III | Nervus oculomotorius | Ocular motility |
| IV | Nervus trochlearis | Ocular motility |
| V | Nervus trigeminus | Facial sensation |
| VI | Nervus abducens | Ocular motility |
| VII | Nervus facialis | Muscles of facial expression |
| VIII | Nervus vestibulocochlearis | Hearing and balance |
| IX | Nervus glossopharyngeus | Innervation of the pharynx |
| X | Nervus vagus | Parasympathetic innervation of internal organs |
| XI | Nervus accessorius | Innervation of the Musculus trapezius and Musculus sternocleidomastoideus |
| XII | Nervus hypoglossus | Innervation of the tongue muscles |