The |vagus nerve| is the tenth cranial ~nerve~, branching off of the |medulla| oblongata and extending upward and downward into the abdomen. An important ~nerve~, the vagus divides into several branches which innervate vital structures in the body. These include the auricular, bronchial, cardiac (inferior and superior), celiac, esophageal, gastric, hepatic, laryngeal (recurrent and superior), meningeal, pharyngeal, and pyloric branches.
