The long ciliary nerves are 2-3 nerves that arise from the

nasociliary nerve The nasociliary nerve is a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (CN V1) (which is in turn a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). It is intermediate in size between the other two branches of the ophthalmic nerve, the frontal nerve and lacrimal ner ...

(itself a branch of the ophthalmic branch (CN V₁) of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). They enter the eyeball to provide sensory innervation to parts of the eye, and sympathetic visceral motor innervation to the dilator pupillae muscle.

Anatomy

Origin

The long ciliary nerves branch from the

as it crosses the optic nerve (CN II).

Course

Accompanied by the

short ciliary nerves The short ciliary nerves are nerves of the orbit around the eye. They are branches of the ciliary ganglion. They supply parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve fibers to the ciliary muscle, iris, and cornea. Damage to the short ciliary nerve may ...

, the long ciliary nerves pierce and enter the posterior part of the

sclera The sclera, also known as the white of the eye or, in older literature, as the tunica albuginea oculi, is the opaque, fibrous, protective outer layer of the eye containing mainly collagen and some crucial elastic fiber. In the development of t ...

near where it is entered by the optic nerve, then run anterior-ward between the sclera and the

choroid The choroid, also known as the choroidea or choroid coat, is a part of the uvea, the vascular layer of the eye. It contains connective tissues, and lies between the retina and the sclera. The human choroid is thickest at the far extreme rear o ...

Function

The long ciliary nerves are distributed to the ciliary body, iris, and

cornea The cornea is the transparency (optics), transparent front part of the eyeball which covers the Iris (anatomy), iris, pupil, and Anterior chamber of eyeball, anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and Lens (anatomy), lens, the cornea ...

Sensory

The long ciliary nerves provide sensory innervation to the

eyeball An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the eye ...

, including the cornea.

Sympathetic

The long ciliary nerves contain post-ganglionic sympathetic fibers from the

superior cervical ganglion The superior cervical ganglion (SCG) is the upper-most and largest of the cervical sympathetic ganglia of the sympathetic trunk. It probably formed by the union of four sympathetic ganglia of the cervical spinal nerves C1–C4. It is the only ...

for the dilator pupillae muscle. The sympathetic fibers to the dilator pupillae muscle mainly travel in the

but there are also sympathetic fibers in the short ciliary nerves that pass through the ciliary ganglion without forming synapses.

Anatomy

Origin

Course

Function

Sensory

Sympathetic

See also

Additional images

References

External links