Changes in the anterior, lateral, and vertical dimensions of the thoracic cavity are important for breathing.
Innervation of the diaphragm
The diaphragm is innervated by two phrenic nerves that originate, one on each side, as branches of the cervical plexus in the neck (Fig. 3.15). They arise from the anterior rami of cervical nerves C3, C4, and C5, with the major contribution coming from C4.