Anatomy Bones and Muscles · MU Pleven

177. Vagus nerve.

Covers the vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve and the body's main parasympathetic nerve, leaving by the jugular foramen. Sets out its motor, sensory and parasympathetic functions, its nuclei, and its course through the jugular foramen, neck, thorax and abdomen, with the branches given in each region.

Inside: 5 sections · 10 flashcards · 3 min

Topic 176 of 236 in the MU Pleven syllabus for Anatomy Bones and Muscles (Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 5 sections, about 395 words (3 min of reading), with 10 flashcards.

In this note

  1. VAGUS NERVE (X C.N) jugular foramen 9,10,11
  2. Functions:
  3. Nuclei:
  4. Course:
  5. Branches:

VAGUS NERVE (X C.N) jugular foramen 9,10,11

  • It is the longest cranial nerve.
  • The vagus n. is the main parasympathetic nerve in the body.

Functions:

  • Motor: to all muscles developed from 4th and 6th pharyngeal arches: muscles of the palate (except tensor palati), all muscles of pharynx (except stylopharyngeus), and all muscles of the larynx.
  • Sensory: It carries special sensation (taste) from posterior end of the tongue, valleculae, and epiglottis. It carries also general sensations from the distribution of its auricular branch and general visceral sensations from organs supplied by it.
  • Parasympathetic: to involuntary muscles of the thorax (heart and bronchi) and abdomen (GIT down to the end of midgut).

Nuclei:

  • Motor nucleus: it is the middle part of nucleus ambiguus.

SVE fibers.

  • Sensory nuclei:
  • Nucleus solitarius: Its lower part receives taste sensation from posterior end of tongue, valleculae, and epiglottis.

GVA | SVA

  • Spinal nucleus of trigeminal: It receives general sensations along the auricular branch of vagus.

GSA

  • Parasympathetic nucleus: It is the dorsal nucleus of vagus, located beneath the vagal trigone of the medulla oblongata. It is responsible for supply of involuntary muscles of thorax and abdomen (heart, bronchi, GIT).

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