the vagus nerve enters the abdomen through the esophagus.
the vagus nerve enters the abdomen through the esophagus.
where does the vagus nerve enter the abdomen?
esophagus
bullet::::- superior cervical cardiac branches of vagus nerve









































bullet::::- inferior cervical cardiac branch









































bullet::::- recurrent laryngeal nerve









































bullet::::- thoracic cardiac branches









































bullet::::- branches to the pulmonary plexus









































bullet::::- branches to the esophageal plexus









































bullet::::- anterior vagal trunk









































bullet::::- posterior vagal trunk









































bullet::::- hering-breuer reflex in alveoli









































the vagus runs parallel to the common carotid artery and internal jugular vein inside the carotid sheath.









































section::::structure.:nuclei.









































the vagus nerve includes axons which emerge from or converge onto four nuclei of the medulla:









































bullet::::1. the dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve – which sends parasympathetic output to the viscera, especially the intestines
vagus nerve
the vagus nerve, named after the latin word "vagus" (because the nerve controls such a broad range of target tissues – "vagus" in latin literally means "wandering"), has parasympathetic that originate in the dorsal nucleus of the vagus nerve and the nucleus ambiguus in the cns. the vagus nerve is an unusual cranial parasympathetic in that it doesn't join the trigeminal nerve in order to get to its target tissues. another peculiarity is that the vagus has an autonomic ganglion associated with it at approximately the level of c1 vertebra. the vagus gives no parasympathetic to the cranium. the vagus nerve is hard to track definitively due to its ubiquitous nature in the thorax and abdomen so the major contributions will be discussed. several parasympathetic nerves come off the vagus nerve as it enters the thorax. one nerve is the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which becomes the inferior laryngeal nerve. from the left vagus nerve the recurrent laryngeal nerve hooks around the aorta to travel back up to the larynx and proximal esophagus while, from the right vagus nerve, the recurrent laryngeal nerve hooks around the right subclavian artery to travel back up to the same location as its counterpart. these different paths are a direct result of embryological development of the circulatory system. each recurrent laryngeal nerve supplies the trachea and the esophagus with parasympathetic secretomotor innervation for glands associated with them (and other fibers that are not pn).
parasympathetic nervous system