Vagus nerve

The vagus nerve (/ˈveɪɡəs/ VAY-gəs), historically cited as the pneumogastric nerve, is the tenth cranial nerve or CN X, and interfaces with the parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. The vagus nerves are paired but are normally referred to in the singular. It is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system in the human body. The ending part of vagus nerve is known as spinal accessory nucleus.Inferior view of the human brain, with the cranial nerves labeled.Section of the neck at about the level of the sixth cervical vertebraTransverse section of thorax, showing relations of pulmonary arteryThe arch of the aorta, and its branchesDura mater and its processes exposed by removing part of the right half of the skull, and the brainThe tracheobronchial lymph glandsSection of the medulla oblongata at about the middle of the oliveHind- and mid-brains; postero-lateral viewUpper part of medulla spinalis and hind- and mid-brains; posterior aspect, exposed in situThe right sympathetic chain and its connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexusesThe celiac ganglia with the sympathetic plexuses of the abdominal viscera radiating from the gangliaThe position and relation of the esophagus in the cervical region and in the posterior mediastinum, seen from behindThe thyroid gland and its relationsThe thymus of a full-term fetus, exposed in situDeep dissection of vagus nerveVagus nerve – dissection The vagus nerve (/ˈveɪɡəs/ VAY-gəs), historically cited as the pneumogastric nerve, is the tenth cranial nerve or CN X, and interfaces with the parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. The vagus nerves are paired but are normally referred to in the singular. It is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system in the human body. The ending part of vagus nerve is known as spinal accessory nucleus. Upon leaving the medulla oblongata between the pyramid and the inferior cerebellar peduncle, the vagus nerve extends through the jugular foramen, then passes into the carotid sheath between the internal carotid artery and the internal jugular vein down to the neck, chest, and abdomen, where it contributes to the innervation of the viscera, reaching all the way to the colon. Besides giving some output to various organs, the vagus nerve comprises between 80% and 90% of afferent nerves mostly conveying sensory information about the state of the body's organs to the central nervous system.The right and left vagus nerves descend from the cranial vault through the jugular foramina, penetrating the carotid sheath between the internal and external carotid arteries, then passing posterolateral to the common carotid artery. The cell bodies of visceral afferent fibers of the vagus nerve are located bilaterally in the inferior ganglion of the vagus nerve (nodose ganglia). The right vagus nerve gives rise to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, which hooks around the right subclavian artery and ascends into the neck between the trachea and esophagus. The right vagus then crosses anterior to the right subclavian artery, runs posterior to the superior vena cava, descends posterior to the right main bronchus, and contributes to cardiac, pulmonary, and esophageal plexuses. It forms the posterior vagal trunk at the lower part of the esophagus and enters the diaphragm through the esophageal hiatus. The left vagus nerve enters the thorax between left common carotid artery and left subclavian artery and descends on the aortic arch. It gives rise to the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, which hooks around the aortic arch to the left of the ligamentum arteriosum and ascends between the trachea and esophagus. The left vagus further gives off thoracic cardiac branches, breaks up into the pulmonary plexus, continues into the esophageal plexus, and enters the abdomen as the anterior vagal trunk in the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm.