Nucleus of phrenic nerve
Nucleus nervi phrenici
- Related terms: Nucleus of phrenic nerve; Phrenic nucleus
Definition
The nucleus of phrenic nerve belongs to the central group of motor nuclei found within the anterior horn of the cervical spinal cord (C3 to C5 segments). The efferent motor neurons from this nucleus innervate the diaphragm, the principal muscle of respiration.
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.
References
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.
