acoustic nerve

n. Also known as the vestibulocochlear or auditory nerve is nerve VIII of the 12 cranial nerves. This cranial nerve includes two different branches: a cochlear branch (hearing information) and a vestibular branch (balance and head position information). The VIII cranial nerve emerges from the medulla oblongata and enters into the internal acoustic canal in the temporal bone, along with the facial nerve (V cranial nerve). The cochlear branch arises from bipolar cells in the spiral ganglion of the cochlea. The nerve passes along the internal acoustic canal and terminates in the cochlear nucleus. The vestibular branch arises from bipolar cells in the vestibular ganglion. - AA