Final answer:
The Accessory nerve or cranial nerve XI is a motor nerve responsible for neck muscle contraction. There are 12 cranial nerves in total, categorized as motor, sensory, or mixed based on their primary functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cranial nerve XI is known as the Accessory nerve and is primarily responsible for contracting the muscles of the neck, and thus, it is classified as a motor nerve. Humans have a total of 12 cranial nerves, each with specific functions. The cranial nerves can be either motor, sensory, or mixed, and they are responsible for various functions such as sensory perception (smell, vision, taste, and hearing) and motor controls for muscles primarily in the head and neck.
For example, the olfactory nerve (CNI) is a sensory nerve transmitting information about smells, whereas the optic nerve (CNII) is responsible for vision. The oculomotor nerve (CNIII) is a motor nerve that controls eyelid opening and some eye movements. Meanwhile, the glossopharyngeal nerve (CNIX) has both sensory functions, such as taste, and motor functions like swallowing.
The spinal nerves, in contrast to cranial nerves, emerge from the spinal cord and possess both sensory and motor fibers, forming complexes known as plexuses before innervating various body regions.