The pharyngeal branch of the

vagus nerve The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve (CN X), plays a crucial role in the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating involuntary functions within the human body. This nerve carries both sensory and motor fibe ...

is the principal motor nerve of the

pharynx The pharynx (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the human mouth, mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates ...

. It represents the motor component of the

pharyngeal plexus of vagus nerve The pharyngeal plexus is a nerve plexus located upon the outer surface of the pharynx. It contains a motor component (derived from the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X)), a sensory component (derived from the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve ...

and ultimately provides motor innervation to most of the muscles of the soft palate (all but the

tensor veli palatini muscle The tensor veli palatini muscle (tensor palati or tensor muscle of the velum palatinum) is a thin, triangular muscle of the head that tenses the soft palate and opens the Eustachian tube to equalise pressure in the middle ear. Structure The ten ...

), and of the

(all but the

stylopharyngeus muscle The stylopharyngeus muscle is a muscle in the head. It originates from the temporal styloid process. Some of its fibres insert onto the thyroid cartilage, while others end by intermingling with proximal structures. It is innervated by the glosso ...

). The neuron cell bodies of the axons of the pharyngeal branch reside in the

nucleus ambiguus The nucleus ambiguus ("ambiguous nucleus" in English) is a group of large motor neurons, situated deep in the medullary part of the reticular formation named by Jacob Clarke. The nucleus ambiguus contains the cell bodies of neurons that innerva ...

. The pharyngeal branch arises from the superior portion of the

inferior ganglion of vagus nerve The inferior ganglion of the vagus nerve (also known as the nodose ganglion) is one of the two sensory ganglia of each vagus nerve (cranial nerve X). It contains neuron cell bodies of general visceral afferent fibers and special visceral afferent ...

. It passes in between the

external carotid artery The external carotid artery is the major artery of the head and upper neck. It arises from the common carotid artery. It terminates by splitting into the superficial temporal and maxillary artery within the parotid gland. Structure Origin T ...

and

internal carotid artery The internal carotid artery is an artery in the neck which supplies the anterior cerebral artery, anterior and middle cerebral artery, middle cerebral circulation. In human anatomy, the internal and external carotid artery, external carotid ari ...

; upon reaching the superior border of the

middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle The middle pharyngeal constrictor is a fan-shaped muscle located in the neck. It is one of three pharyngeal constrictor muscles. It is smaller than the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle. The middle pharyngeal constrictor originates from the ...

the nerve ramifies into numerous filaments that contribute to the formation of the pharyngeal plexus.

Anatomy

Origin

Putative contribution from cranial root of accessory nerve (CN XI) It is unclear whether the cranial root of accessory nerve (CN XI) makes a significant contribution of nerve fibres to the CN X that would then proceed to constitute the pharyngeal branch.

References

External links

* * () Vagus nerve Human throat Nerves of the head and neck {{Neuroanatomy-stub

Anatomy

Origin

See also

References

External links