Nucleus of phrenic nerve
Nucleus nervi phrenici
- Related terms: Nucleus of phrenic nerve; Phrenic nucleus
Definition
Nucleus of phrenic nerve is an example of the central group of nuclei found within the anterior horns of cervical segments of the spinal cord. The efferent motor neurons from the nucleus of phrenic nerve innervate a skeletal muscle of respiration, called the diaphragm.
The nucleus of phrenic nerve–along with the nucleus of accessory nerve–is sandwiched between the medial and lateral group of cells in the cervical anterior horn, which innervate the neck and upper limb musculature, respectively.
References
Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2022 IMAIOS.
Snell, R.S. (2010). ‘Chapter 4: The Spinal Cord and the Ascending and Descending Tracts’, in Clinical Neuroanatomy. (7th ed.) Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp. 137-142.
