What is the vagus nerve?
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The vagus nerve is called the vagus nerve (tenth cranial nerve). Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as the tenth cranial nerve.
Summary
The vagus nerve is called the vagus nerve (tenth cranial nerve). Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as the tenth cranial nerve.
What it is
- The tenth cranial nerve.
- Its Latin name means 'wandering' \u2014 it has the longest course of any cranial nerve.
- Carries parasympathetic fibers to most of the organs of the chest and abdomen.
Where it is
- Arises from the medulla oblongata.
- Descends through the neck in the carotid sheath.
- Passes into the chest and abdomen, giving branches to the heart, lungs, stomach, and intestines.
Sources
According to Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918, public domain):
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