
The fatal result of damage to the pathway between the brain and the diaphragm is respiratory arrest, a condition where the diaphragm stops moving, thereby failing to move fresh air into the lungs.The World Health Organizatiοn (WHO) classification of head and neck tumors is the most widely used pathologic classification system for such disorders. The current revision, part of the 4 th edition of the WHO series, was published in 2017 and is reflected in the article below 1. A vital connection from the cervical plexus to the diaphragm is formed by the phrenic nerve, allowing the brain to control breathing.ĭamage to any part of the spinal cord may cause a loss of sensation and/or motor function below the injury however, such injuries are most dangerous within the neck as they are likely to affect a greater area of the body and are more likely to result in death.

HEAD AND NECK DIAGRAMS SKIN
The cervical plexus forms many connections between the brain and the skin and muscles of the head and neck, similar to the cranial nerves. Eight spinal nerves branch off from the spinal cord in the neck to form a network of nerves called the cervical plexus. In the neck, the spinal cord passes through the vertebral foramen of the cervical vertebrae, which surround and protect its delicate nervous tissue. The spinal nerve extends from the inferior end of the brain stem and passes through the foramen magnum of the skull into the neck. The spinal cord is a thick nerve trunk that forms the brain’s most important connection to the body and carries all signals to and from the brain that are not provided by the cranial nerves. Wandering through the neck and torso, the vagus nerve communicates vital information from the brain to the heart and intestines.

The muscles of the head and neck are also controlled by various cranial nerves including the facial nerve (facial expression) and accessory nerve (head and neck movements). The sensory organs of the head use the cranial nerves for signal transmission, including smell (olfactory nerve), vision (optic, oculomotor, abducens, and trochlear nerves), taste (facial and glossopharyngeal nerves) and hearing (vestibulocochlear nerve). A large crease splits the cerebrum into left and right hemispheres, which monitor and control opposite sides of the body and maintain slightly varied but parallel functions within the brain.Įxtending from many different regions on the inferior side of the brain, twelve pairs of cranial nerves provide direct connections between the brain and important structures of the head, neck, and trunk. All of the voluntary functions of the body, along with memory, creativity, and emotions are products of the neurons in the gray matter of the cerebrum.

The brain weighs in at around three pounds on average, making it one of the most massive organs in the human body.
