Ganglion

A ganglion is a nerve cell cluster[1] or a

group of nerve cell bodies located in the
autonomic nervous system and sensory
system.[2][3] Ganglia house the cell bodies
of afferent nerves (input nerve fibers) and
efferent nerves (output/motor nerve
fibers), or axons.
 Ganglion

Micrograph of a ganglion. H&E stain.

Details

System Nervous system

Identifiers

Latin ganglion

MeSH D005724

TA A14.2.00.002

FMA 5884
 Anatomical terminology

A dorsal root ganglion (DRG) from a chicken embryo

(around stage of day 7) after incubation overnight in
NGF growth medium stained with anti-neurofilament
antibody. Note the axons growing out of the ganglion.

A pseudoganglion looks like a ganglion,

but only has nerve fibers and has no nerve
cell bodies.

Structure
Ganglia are primarily made up of somata
and dendritic structures which are bundled
or connected. Ganglia often interconnect
with other ganglia to form a complex
system of ganglia known as a plexus.
Ganglia provide relay points and
intermediary connections between
different neurological structures in the
body, such as the peripheral and central
nervous systems.

Among vertebrates there are three major

groups of ganglia:

Dorsal root ganglia (also known as the

spinal ganglia) contain the cell bodies of
 sensory (afferent) neurons.
Cranial nerve ganglia contain the cell
bodies of cranial nerve neurons.
Autonomic ganglia contain the cell
bodies of autonomic nerves.

In the autonomic nervous system, fibers

from the central nervous system to the
ganglia are known as preganglionic fibers,
while those from the ganglia to the
effector organ are called postganglionic
fibers.

Basal ganglia
The term "ganglion" refers to the peripheral
nervous system.[4]

However, in the brain (part of the central

nervous system), the "basal ganglia" is a
group of nuclei interconnected with the
cerebral cortex, thalamus, and brainstem,
associated with a variety of functions:
motor control, cognition, emotions, and
learning.

Partly due to this ambiguity, the

Terminologia Anatomica recommends
using the term basal nuclei instead of
basal ganglia; however, this usage has not
been generally adopted.
Pseudoganglion

A pseudoganglion is a localized thickening

of the main part or trunk of a nerve that
has the appearance of a ganglion[5] but
has only nerve fibers and no nerve cell
bodies.

Pseudoganglia are found in the teres

minor muscle[6] and radial nerve.

See also
Sympathetic ganglion
Ganglion cyst
Nervous system
Neuron
References
1. Sadava, David; Heller, H. Craig; Orians,
Gordon H.; Purves, William K.; Hillis, David
M. (2008). Life: The Science of Biology (8th
ed.). W. H. Freeman. p. 943.
ISBN 9780716776710.
2. "ganglion " at Dorland's Medical
Dictionary
3. Brodal, Per (2010). The Central Nervous
System . Oxford University Press. p. 5.
ISBN 9780195381153. "In the CNS, such a
group is called a nucleus and in the
peripheral nervous system (PNS), a
ganglion."
4. "UNSW Embryology- Glossary G" .
Archived from the original on 14 December
2007. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
5. "pseudoganglion" . The Free Dictionary.
Retrieved 19 December 2016.
6. Gitlin, G. (Oct 1957). "Concerning the
gangliform enlargement (pseudoganglion)
on the nerve to the teres minor muscle" .
Journal of Anatomy. 91 (4): 466–70.
PMC 1244902 . PMID 13475146 .

External links
Media related to Ganglia at Wikimedia
Commons
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Last edited 2 months ago by Tom.R…

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