What is the cardiac plexus?

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Multiple Choice

What is the cardiac plexus?

The cardiac plexus is the network of autonomic nerves around the heart that carries fibers from both the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. This dual innervation lets the heart be modulated by two different arms of the autonomic nervous system: sympathetic input (via the thoracic sympathetic trunk) tends to increase heart rate and the force of contraction, while parasympathetic input (mainly via the vagus nerve) slows heart rate and reduces conduction velocity. The plexus distributes these postganglionic fibers to the SA and AV nodes and the myocardium (and even influences the coronary vessels), coordinating how the heart beats. It isn’t a brain region, it isn’t solely parasympathetic, and it isn’t a network of blood vessels—it's specifically an autonomic nerve network surrounding the heart that integrates signals to regulate cardiac function.

The cardiac plexus is the network of autonomic nerves around the heart that carries fibers from both the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. This dual innervation lets the heart be modulated by two different arms of the autonomic nervous system: sympathetic input (via the thoracic sympathetic trunk) tends to increase heart rate and the force of contraction, while parasympathetic input (mainly via the vagus nerve) slows heart rate and reduces conduction velocity. The plexus distributes these postganglionic fibers to the SA and AV nodes and the myocardium (and even influences the coronary vessels), coordinating how the heart beats. It isn’t a brain region, it isn’t solely parasympathetic, and it isn’t a network of blood vessels—it's specifically an autonomic nerve network surrounding the heart that integrates signals to regulate cardiac function.

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