Accessory Nerves (XI)

The "accessory nerves" are the eleventh pair of cranial nerves and are sometimes called "spinal accessories". They are numbered with the Roman numeral "XI" to designate their place in the cranial nerve order. They stem from the medulla oblongata (between the pons at the base of the brain stem and the spinal cord) and some originate in the spinal cord itself, so they have both cranial and spinal branches. Each cranial branch joins a nerve that carries impulses to muscles of the soft palate, pharynx and larynx. The spinal branches pass down into the neck and back.