acoustic nerve, auditory nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve, nervus vestibulocochlearis, eighth cranial nerve(noun)

a composite sensory nerve supplying the hair cells of the vestibular organ and the hair cells of the cochlea

Vestibulocochlear Nerve

The 8th cranial nerve. The vestibulocochlear nerve has a cochlear part (COCHLEAR NERVE) which is concerned with hearing and a vestibular part (VESTIBULAR NERVE) which mediates the sense of balance and head position. The fibers of the cochlear nerve originate from neurons of the SPIRAL GANGLION and project to the cochlear nuclei (COCHLEAR NUCLEUS). The fibers of the vestibular nerve arise from neurons of Scarpa's ganglion and project to the VESTIBULAR NUCLEI.