vagus nerve

n. Either of the tenth and longest of the cranial nerves, passing through the neck and thorax into the abdomen and supplying sensation to part of the ear, the tongue, the larynx, and the pharynx, motor impulses to the vocal cords, and motor and secretory impulses to the abdominal and thoracic viscera. Also called pneumogastric nerve.

[New Latin (nervus) vagus, wandering (nerve), from Latin.]

va·gus nerve

(vā′gəs) A long nerve that passes from the brain to the face, trunk, and abdomen. It controls the muscles of the larynx (voice box), stimulates digestion, and regulates the heartbeat. The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve.

Thesaurus

Noun

vagus nerve - a mixed nerve that supplies the pharynx and larynx and lungs and heart and esophagus and stomach and most of the abdominal visceranervus vagus, pneumogastric, pneumogastric nerve, tenth cranial nerve, vagus, wandering nervecranial nerve - any of the 12 paired nerves that originate in the brain stem

Translations

Vagus Nerve

in man, the tenth pair of cranial nerves, a paired mixed nerve containing motor, sensory, and autonomic (sympathetic and parasympathetic) fibers. The vagus nerve has three nuclei in the medulla oblongata in common with the glossopharyngeal nerve—the dorsal nucleus (autonomic); the ventral, or ambiguus, nucleus (motor); and the nucleus of the so-called tractus solitarius (sensory). The sensory fibers of the vagus nerve originate in two ganglia (superior and inferior) situated outside the cranium in the region of the jugular foramen. They then enter the cranial cavity and proceed to the medulla oblongata, from which they emerge with the vagus nerve through the jugular foramen. The vagus nerve is located in the neck with the carotid artery and jugular vein. It penetrates to the thorax, from which, together with the esophagus, it passes through the diaphragm into the abdominal cavity, forming plexuses on the walls of the esophagus, stomach, and so on. The motor fibers of the vagus nerve supply the muscles of the larynx, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines, blood vessels, and heart (inhibition of cardiac activity, regulation of blood pressure, and so forth). The sensory fibers of the vagus nerve supply the occipital portions of the dura mater, the neck organs, stomach, and lungs. The vagus nerve participates in many reflex acts (swallowing, coughing, vomiting, filling and emptying of the stomach) and in regulation of the heartbeat and breathing. It is also part of the solar plexus. Injury to the motor nuclei of the vagus nerve impairs swallowing, phona-tion, articulation, and respiration—that is, the so-called bulbar disturbances, which occur in bulbar paralysis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myeloencephalitis, and other diseases.

REFERENCES

Mnogotomnoe rukovodstvo po nevrologii, vol. 1, book 1. Edited by N. I. Grashchenkov. Moscow, 1959.
Clara, M. Das Nervensystem des Menschen, 2nd ed. Leipzig, 1953.

vagus nerve

[va´gus] the tenth cranial nerve; it has the most extensive distribution of the cranial nerves, serving structures of the chest and abdomen as well as the head and neck. Its afferent fibers serve the mucous membrane of the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, arch of the aorta, esophagus, and stomach. Some of the functions affected by this nerve are coughing, sneezing, reflex inhibitions of the heart rate, and the sensation of hunger. Its motor fibers are concerned with swallowing, speech, peristalsis, and secretions from the glands of the stomach and the pancreas and contractions of the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles. See Appendix 3-5.

vagus nerve

the 10th cranial nerve of vertebrates that arises on the side and floor of the brain MEDULLA and supplies the pharynx, vocal cords, lungs, heart, oesophagus, stomach and intestine. In the vocal cords and lungs it has a sensory function, but elsewhere in the parasympathetic nervous system (see AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM it has a motor function including inhibition of the heartbeat.

Vagus nerve

A cranial nerve, that is, a nerve connected to the brain. The vagus nerve has branches to most of the major organs in the body, including the larynx, throat, windpipe, lungs, heart, and most of the digestive system.Mentioned in: Fainting, Ulcer Surgery

vagus nerve

vagus nerve

va·gus nerve

Vagus Nerve

Vagus Nerve

REFERENCES

vagus nerve

vagus nerve

vagus nerve

vagus nerve

Vagus nerve

vagus nerve

Synonyms for vagus nerve

noun a mixed nerve that supplies the pharynx and larynx and lungs and heart and esophagus and stomach and most of the abdominal viscera

Synonyms

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