This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Sympathetic ganglia is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Sympathetic ganglion | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Autonomic nervous system innervation, showing the sympathetic (thoracolumbar) and parasympathetic (craniosacral) systems, in red and blue, respectively | |
 |
|
| Diagram of the course and branches of a typical intercostal nerve. (Sympathetic ganglion visible at center top.) | |
| Latin | g. sympathicum |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | g_02/12385047 |
Sympathetic ganglia are the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system. They deliver information to the body about stress and impending danger, and are responsible for the familiar fight-or-flight response. They contain approximately 20000–30000 nerve cell bodies and are located close to and on either side of the spinal cord in long chains.
Contents |
Anatomy
Sympathetic chain ganglia
The bilaterally symmetric sympathetic chain ganglia, also called the paravertebral ganglia, are located just ventral and lateral to the spinal cord. The chain extends from the upper neck down to the coccyx, forming the unpaired coccygeal ganglion. Preganglionic nerves from the spinal cord synapse at one of the chain ganglia and the postganglionic fibre extends to an effector, typically a visceral organ in the thoracic cavity.
Collateral ganglia
Neurons of the collateral ganglia, also called the prevertebral ganglia, receive input from the splanchnic nerves and innervate organs of the abdominal and pelvic region. These include the celiac ganglia, superior mesenteric ganglia, and inferior mesenteric ganglia.
Additional images
 The thoracic aorta, viewed from the left side. |
 Scheme showing structure of a typical spinal nerve. |
 Transverse section of human embryo eight and a half to nine weeks old. |
External links
- The Autonomic Nervous System from the University of Arizona
- Norman/Georgetown thoraxlesson5 (paravertebralregion)
- Sympathetic+ganglia at eMedicine Dictionary
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 18 August 2008, at 18:56.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Sympathetic ganglia".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.