Dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve
The dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve (or posterior nucleus of vagus nerve or dorsal vagal nucleus or nucleus dorsalis nervi vagi or nucleus posterior nervi vagi)[1] is a cranial nerve nucleus for the vagus nerve in the medulla that lies ventral to the floor of the fourth ventricle. It mostly serves parasympathetic vagal functions in the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and other thoracic and abdominal vagal innervations. The cell bodies for the preganglionic parasympathetic vagal neurons that innervate the heart reside in the nucleus ambiguus.
Dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve | |
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Nuclei of origin of cranial motor nerves schematically represented; lateral view. ("X" visible at bottom center.) | |
#9 is vagus nerve and nucleus | |
Details | |
Identifiers | |
Latin | nucleus posterior nervi vagi |
NeuroNames | 755 |
NeuroLex ID | birnlex_2642 |
TA | A14.1.04.229 |
FMA | 54585 |
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy |
Additional cell bodies are found in the nucleus ambiguus, which give rise to the branchial efferent motor fibers of the vagus nerve (CN X) terminating in the laryngeal, pharyngeal muscles, and musculus uvulae.
Additional images
- Section of the medulla oblongata at about the middle of the olive.
- The cranial nerve nuclei schematically represented; dorsal view. Motor nuclei in red; sensory in blue.
- Dorsal motor nucleus of Vagus with Lewy body pathology
See also
- Vagovagal reflex, gastrointestinal tract reflex circuits where afferent and efferent fibers of the vagus nerve.
- Nucleus ambiguus
References
- Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. Elsevier. 2012. p. 1300. ISBN 978-1-4160-6257-8.
External links
- MedEd at Loyola GrossAnatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cn10.htm
- Overview at mcgill.ca
- NIF Search - Dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve via the Neuroscience Information Framework