Structure and Location
- Located close to the internal auditory meatus
- Covered superiorly by the petrous part of the temporal bone
- Receives fibers from the motor, sensory, and parasympathetic components of the facial nerve
- Contains special sensory neuronal cell bodies for taste
- Sensory and parasympathetic inputs are carried into the geniculate ganglion via the nervus intermedius
Function
- Provides parasympathetic innervation to the lacrimal glands, submandibular glands, and sublingual glands
- Provides special sensory innervation to the tongue for taste
- Provides general sensory innervation to the skin of the posterior ear
- Provides somatic (branchial) motor innervation to the palate, pharynx, external auditory meatus, stapedius muscle, posterior belly of the digastric muscle, stylohyoid muscle, and muscles of facial expression
Clinical Significance
- Important surgical landmark near the internal auditory meatus
- May become inflamed due to viral infection by herpes zoster virus
Additional Images
- Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves
Related Concepts
- Ramsay Hunt syndrome type II
The geniculate ganglion (from Latin genu, for "knee") is a collection of pseudounipolar sensory neurons of the facial nerve located in the facial canal of the head. It receives fibers from the facial nerve. It sends fibers that supply the lacrimal glands, submandibular glands, sublingual glands, tongue, palate, pharynx, external auditory meatus, stapedius muscle, posterior belly of the digastric muscle, stylohyoid muscle, and muscles of facial expression.
| Geniculate ganglion | |
|---|---|
 The course and connections of the facial nerve in the temporal bone. | |
 Cranial nerves VII and VIII and selected structures of the inner and middle ear. 1 Nervus vestibularis, 2 Nervus cochlearis, 3 Nervus intermediofacialis, 4 Ganglion geniculi, 5 Chorda tympani, 6 Cochlea, 7 Ductus semicirculares, 8 Malleus, 9 Membrana tympani, 10 Tuba auditiva | |
| Details | |
| Innervates | lacrimal glands, submandibular glands, sublingual glands, tongue, palate, pharynx, external auditory meatus, stapedius muscle, posterior belly of the digastric muscle, stylohyoid muscle, muscles of facial expression |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | ganglion geniculi nervi facialis |
| MeSH | D005830 |
| TA98 | A14.2.01.116 |
| TA2 | 6287 |
| FMA | 53414 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The geniculate ganglion is one of several ganglia of the head and neck. Like the others, it is a bilaterally distributed structure, with each side of the face having a geniculate ganglion.
geniculate ganglion (plural geniculate ganglions)
