Nerves of the esophagus (English)

The esophageal plexus, a network of parasympathetic and sympathetic fibers surrounds the esophagus and provides nervous supply. The parasympathetic nervous supply mainly originates from the vagus nerve (CN X), while the sympathetic supply stems from the cervical and thoracic sympathetic trunk, as well as spinal nerves T5-T12. The myenteric plexus of Auerbach and submucosal plexus of Meissner (enteric nervous system; not pictured) are embedded in the esophageal wall and play an important role in controlling the peristalsis of the esophagus.