A mixed nerve consisting of efferent fibers supplying the facial muscles, the platysma muscle, the submandibular and sublingual glands; and of afferent fibers from taste buds of the anterior two thirds of the tongue and from the muscles. The afferent fibers originate from the geniculate ganglion and the motor and secretory fibers from nuclei in the pons. They are distributed throughout the ear, face, palate, and tongue. Branches are the tympanic, chorda tympani, posterior auricular, digastric, stylohyoid, temporal, zygomatic, malar, buccal, mandibular, and cervical.