noun
vagus nerve
Anatomical term for the tenth cranial nerve, which extends from the brainstem to the abdomen and regulates parasympathetic functions.
迷走神経は心拍数や消化活動を調節している。
The vagus nerve regulates heart rate and digestive activity.
The term is composed of 迷走 (meisō, 'wandering') and 神経 (shinkei, 'nerve'), reflecting the nerve's extensive distribution throughout the body. The exact historical derivation of the Japanese term is uncertain; it is a calque of the English 'vagus nerve' (from Latin vagus, 'wandering').