The cervical spinal nerve 5 (C5) is a

spinal nerve A spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, which carries Motor neuron, motor, Sensory neuron, sensory, and Autonomic nervous system, autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body. In the human body there are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, one on each s ...

of the

cervical segment The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata in the lower brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone) of vertebrate animals. The center of the spinal c ...

.American Medical Association
Nervous System -- Groups of Nerves It originates from the spinal column from above the cervical vertebra 5 (C5). It contributes to the

phrenic nerve The phrenic nerve is a mixed nerve that originates from the C3–C5 spinal nerves in the neck. The nerve is important for breathing because it provides exclusive motor control of the diaphragm, the primary muscle of respiration. In humans, t ...

long thoracic nerve The long thoracic nerve (also: external respiratory nerve of Bell or posterior thoracic nerve) is a branch of the brachial plexus derived from cervical nerves C5-C7 that innervates the serratus anterior muscle. Structure Origin The long th ...

, and

dorsal scapular nerve The dorsal scapular nerve is a branch of the brachial plexus, usually derived from the ventral ramus of cervical nerve C5. It provides motor innervation to the rhomboid major muscle, rhomboid minor muscle, and levator scapulae muscle. Dorsal ...

before joining

cervical spinal nerve 6 The cervical spinal nerve 6 (C6) is a spinal nerve of the cervical segment. It originates from the spinal column from above the cervical vertebra 6 (C6). The C6 nerve root shares a common branch from C5, and has a role in innervating many musc ...

to form the upper trunk, a trunk of the

brachial plexus The brachial plexus is a network of nerves (nerve plexus) formed by the anterior rami of the lower four Spinal nerve#Cervical nerves, cervical nerves and first Spinal nerve#Thoracic nerves, thoracic nerve (cervical spinal nerve 5, C5, Cervical spi ...

, which then forms the

lateral cord The lateral cord is the part of the brachial plexus formed by the anterior divisions of the upper (C5-C6) and middle trunks (C7). Its name comes from it being lateral to the axillary artery as it passes through the axilla. The other cords of the b ...

, and finally the

musculocutaneous nerve The musculocutaneous nerve is a Mixed nerve, mixed branch of the lateral cord of the brachial plexus derived from cervical spinal nerves C5-C7. It arises opposite the lower border of the pectoralis minor. It provides motor innervation to the mus ...

Additional images

File:Slide2y.JPG, Cervical spinal nerve 5

References

Spinal nerves {{neuroanatomy-stub