Vagus nerve
Vagus Nerve
The Vagus Nerve (pronounced: VAY-gus) is the tenth cranial nerve or CN X, and interfaces with parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. The vagus nerves are paired but are often referred to in the singular. It is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system in the human body.
Etymology
The term "vagus" comes from the Latin word for "wandering". This is fitting as the vagus nerve wanders from the brain into organs in the neck, chest, and abdomen.
Function
The vagus nerve supplies motor parasympathetic fibers to all the organs except the adrenal glands, from the neck down to the second segment of the transverse colon. It also controls a few skeletal muscles, including:
- Levator veli palatini
- Salpingopharyngeus
- Palatoglossus
- Palatopharyngeus
- Superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors
- Muscle of the larynx (speech).
This means that the vagus nerve is responsible for such varied tasks as heart rate, gastrointestinal peristalsis, sweating, and quite a few muscle movements in the mouth, including speech (via the recurrent laryngeal nerve) and keeping the larynx open for breathing (via action of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle).
Clinical significance
Damage to the vagus nerve can result in a loss of parasympathetic innervation to a large array of structures. In addition, it can result in dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) or dysphonia (problems with voice). This is known as vagus nerve disorder.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Vagus nerve
- Wikipedia's article - Vagus nerve
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