Long ciliary nerves

Nerve: Long ciliary nerves
Nerves of the orbit, and the ciliary ganglion. Side view.
Latin	nervi ciliares longi
Gray's	subject #200 888
From	Nasociliary nerve
Dorlands / Elsevier	n_05/12565377

The long ciliary nerves, two or three in number, are given off from the nasociliary, as it crosses the optic nerve.

They accompany the short ciliary nerves from the ciliary ganglion, pierce the posterior part of the sclera, and running forward between it and the choroid, are distributed to the iris and cornea.

The long ciliary nerves provide sensory innervation to the eyeball. In addition, they might contain sympathetic fibers from the superior cervical ganglion to the dilator pupillæ muscle. The sympathetics mainly travel in the nasociliary nerve.

See also

• Short ciliary nerves

Additional images

• 

  Pathways in the Ciliary Ganglion.

External links

• Long+ciliary+nerves at eMedicine Dictionary

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.