This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Vagus nerve (anatomy)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The vagus nerve has both sensory and motor divisions. It can also be divided up according to the slighly different routes it takes on the right and left sides.

It emerges from the anterolateral surface of the medulla as a series of rootlets in a cleft between the olive and the cerebellar peduncle. It passes through the jugular foramen and descends within the carotid sheath in association with the common carotid artery and internal jugular vein. The vagus' target organs are widely-distributed throughout the thorax and abdomen.


Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page