vagus nerve

noun

Anatomy.

plural

vagus nerves 

1. either one of the tenth pair of cranial nerves, consisting of motor fibers that innervate the muscles of the pharynx, larynx, heart, and thoracic and abdominal viscera, and of sensory fibers that conduct impulses from these structures to the brain.

vagus nerve

1. Either of the tenth pair of cranial nerves that carries motor impulses from the brain to many major organs. The vagus nerve controls the muscles of the larynx (voice box), stimulates digestion, and regulates the heartbeat.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vagus nerve¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

He discovered that the vagus nerve—which connects the brain to many organs—can send electrical signals that suppress the inflammatory response.

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But can we really reset the balance ourselves, by attempting to activate the vagus nerve?

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“Get in up to your neck so that the cold hits your vagus nerve,” to activate the body’s flight or fight signal, she instructs.

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They communicate with the brain through the bloodstream and the vagus nerve, which runs through the throat and vocal cords and connects the gut and brain.

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In some people who develop a chronic gut infection from the virus, the pathogen may travel to the brain via the vagus nerve which connects the gut and brain.

Read more on Salon