What are the differences between the spinal and the cranial nerves?
The 31 spinal nerve pairs are all made up of mixed nerves. These nerves branch repeatedly after leaving the spinal chord, reaching most parts of the body below the head. The 12 pairs of cranial nerves are made up of some purely sensor nerves, some purely effector nerves, and some mixed nerves. These pairs connect directly with the brain from the body rather than entering the spinal chord first.
