Question

What is the nerve that activates the diaphragm during inspiration?

Answer 1

Diaphragm is supplied by a pair of Phrenic nerves.

Explanation:

Left and right phrenic nerves are spinal nerves , i.e. these arise from spinal cord. To be more specific, we may say that these are cervical nerves, as they arise from cervical region (neck) of spinal cord .

Please note that several neuronal connections are there in phrenic nerve of each side: the connections arise mainly from 4th cervical nerve , though third and fifth cervical nerves also contribute.

(In human there are eight cervical nerves.)

Like all spinal nerves, phrenic nerve is also a mixed nerve : with both sensory and motor fibres in it.