We looked at the phrenic nerve last week. You know what's near the phrenic nerve? The recurrent laryngeal nerve, that's what. And lots of other stuff. But let's have a look at the recurrent laryngeal nerve as it's a fun one: a branch of a cranial nerve that runs to the larynx but dips all the way down into the thorax first.

What does it do? What happens if it is injured? What is its route down into the chest and back up again? How might it be damaged or compressed? What are the embryological (and maybe evolutionary) reasons for this anatomy? Let's discuss.


Music by Jahzzar
Album: HiFi City Tales
Song: Bodies
https://jahzzar.bandcamp.com