Anatomy and Function
- The pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve is the principal motor nerve of the pharynx.
- It represents the motor component of the pharyngeal plexus of vagus nerve.
- It provides motor innervation to most of the muscles of the soft palate and pharynx.
- The neuron cell bodies of the axons of the pharyngeal branch reside in the nucleus ambiguus.
- The pharyngeal branch arises from the superior portion of the inferior ganglion of vagus nerve.
Origin
- It is unclear whether the cranial root of accessory nerve (CN XI) contributes significant nerve fibers to the CN X that would then constitute the pharyngeal branch.
Related Concepts
- Pharyngeal nerve
References
- Standring, Susan (2020). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (42nd ed.). New York. p.713. ISBN 978-0-7020-7707-4. OCLC 1201341621.
- [Citation needed]
External Links
- 10-7. Cranial Nerves. Yale School of Medicine. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
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The pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve is the principal motor nerve of the pharynx. It represents the motor component of the pharyngeal plexus of vagus nerve and ultimately provides motor innervation to most of the muscles of the soft palate (all but the tensor veli palatini muscle), and of the pharynx (all but the stylopharyngeus muscle).
| Pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve | |
|---|---|
 Plan of upper portions of glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves. (Pharyngeal visible at center right.) | |
| Details | |
| From | vagus nerve |
| To | pharyngeal plexus |
| Innervates | pharynx |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | ramus pharyngeus nervi vagi |
| TA98 | A14.2.01.158 |
| TA2 | 6337 |
| FMA | 6234 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The neuron cell bodies of the axons of the pharyngeal branch reside in the nucleus ambiguus. The pharyngeal branch arises from the superior portion of the inferior ganglion of vagus nerve. It passes in between the external carotid artery and internal carotid artery; upon reaching the superior border of the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle the nerve ramifies into numerous filaments that contribute to the formation of the pharyngeal plexus.
