Neuroanatomy, Geniculate Ganglion

The geniculate ganglion is a sensory ganglion of the facial nerve (CN VII). It contains the cell bodies of the fibers responsible for conducting taste sensation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. Also, neurons located at the ganglion contribute to the sensory innervation of other sites, such as the palate, the pinna of the ear and ear canal. Despite being a sensory ganglion, fibers of the facial nerve that travel adjacent to the geniculate ganglion have involvement in all other functions of the nerve. In this sense, lesions at the level of the ganglion can interfere with both sensory and motor components of the facial nerve. These include the injuries that might happen in Bell palsy and Ramsay-Hunt syndrome.