Phrenic nerve

Definition

The phrenic nerve is a crucial nerve of the peripheral nervous system that originates in the neck (C3-C5) and innervates the diaphragm, playing a vital role in breathing. It carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals to the diaphragm, enabling contraction and relaxation essential for inhalation and exhalation.

Related terms

Diaphragm: A dome-shaped muscular partition separating the thorax from the abdominal cavity, playing a major role in breathing.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): The part of the nervous system that consists of nerves and ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord, involved in connecting limbs and organs to the central nervous system.

Cervical Vertebrae: The seven vertebrae forming the upper part of the spine (C1-C7), with three of these (C3-C5) giving origin to fibers contributing to the phrenic nerve