great auricular nerve

anatomy

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The great auricular nerve is a sensory nerve that originates from the cervical plexus, specifically from the C2 and C3 spinal nerves. It is part of the peripheral nervous system, which relays sensory and motor impulses between the central nervous system and the rest of the body.12

The great auricular nerve provides sensation to the skin over the ear, the mastoid area behind the ear, and the parotid gland area. It is one of the cutaneous nerves branching from the cervical plexus, which also serves muscles in the neck and contributes to the phrenic nerve that controls the diaphragm.1

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human nervous system
Cervical plexus
…scalp behind the ear), the great auricular nerve (to the ear and to the skin over the mastoid and parotid areas), transverse cervical cutaneous nerves (to the lateral and ventral neck surfaces), and supraclavicular nerves (along the clavicle, shoulder, and upper chest). Motor branches of the plexus serve muscles that…
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…scalp behind the ear), the great auricular nerve (to the ear and to the skin over the mastoid and parotid areas), transverse cervical cutaneous nerves (to the lateral and ventral neck surfaces), and supraclavicular nerves (along the clavicle, shoulder, and upper chest). Motor branches of the plexus serve muscles that…
Read More