Pl. ganglia, ganglions [Gr.] a knot or knotlike mass; a general term to designate a group of nerve cell bodies, located outside the central nervous system. Occasionally applied to certain nuclear groups within the brain or spinal cord, e.g. basal ganglia.
- aorticorenal g. — small sympathetic ganglia supplying nerve fibers to the kidneys.
- Arnold's g. — see otic ganglion (below).
- autonomic g. — aggregations of cell bodies of neurons of the autonomic nervous system; the parasympathetic and the sympathetic ganglia combined.
- basal g. — subcortical masses of gray matter embedded in each cerebral hemisphere, comprising the corpus striatum (caudate and lentiform nuclei), amygdaloid body and claustrum. Other structures have also been considered to be part of the basal ganglia. Called also basal nuclei.
- cardiac g. — ganglia of the superficial cardiac plexus found close to the aortic arch.
- celiac g. — two large sympathetic ganglia, found on either side of the celiac artery, supplying nerve fibers to the viscera supplied by that artery; sensory and parasympathetic fibers also pass through the ganglia.
- cephalic g. — parasympathetic ganglia in the head, consisting of the ciliary, otic, pterygopalatine and submandibular ganglia.
- cerebrospinal g. — those associated with the cranial and spinal nerves.
- cervical g. — 1. any of the three ganglia (cranial, middle and caudal) of the sympathetic trunk found near the base of the skull and inside the thoracic inlet. — 2. one near the cervix uteri.
- cervicothoracic g. — a ganglion on the sympathetic trunk formed by a union of the caudal cervical and one or more thoracic ganglia. Called also stellate ganglion.
- ciliary g. — a parasympathetic ganglion in the posterior part of the orbit supplied by the oculomotor nerve.
- Corti's g. — spiral ganglion.
- dorsal root g. — spinal ganglion.
- false g. — an enlargement on a nerve that does not have a true ganglionic structure.
- gasserian g. — trigeminal ganglion.
- geniculate g. — the sensory ganglion of the facial nerve, on the geniculum of the facial nerve.
- g. impar — the single ganglion commonly found where the sympathetic trunks of the two sides unite.
- jugular g. — 1. the proximal ganglion of the vagus nerve. — 2. the proximal (superior) ganglion of the glossopharyngeal nerve.
- lumbar g. — the ganglia on the lumbar part of the sympathetic trunk.
- otic g. — a parasympathetic ganglion next to the medial surface of the mandibular nerve, just ventral to the foramen ovale. Its postganglionic fibers supply the parotid gland. Called also Arnold's ganglion.
- parasympathetic g. — aggregations of cell bodies of cholinergic neurons of the parasympathetic nervous system; these ganglia are located near to or within the wall of the organs being innervated.
- petrous g. — the distal ganglion of the glossopharyngeal nerve.
- pterygopalatine g. — a parasympathetic ganglion in a fossa in the sphenoid bone, formed by postganglionic cell bodies that synapse with preganglionic fibers from the facial nerve via the nerve of the pterygopalatine canal. Called also sphenopalatine ganglion.
- sacral g. — those of the sacral part of the sympathetic trunk.
- semilunar g. — trigeminal ganglion.
- sensory g. — any of the ganglia of the peripheral nervous system that transmit sensory impulses; also, the collective masses of nerve cell bodies in the brain subserving sensory functions.
- simple g. — a cystic tumor in a tendon sheath.
- sphenopalatine g. — pterygopalatine ganglion.
- spinal g. — ganglia on the dorsal root of each spinal nerve.
- spiral g. — the ganglion on the cochlear nerve, located within the modiolus, sending fibers peripherally to the organ of Corti and centrally to the cochlear nuclei of the brainstem. Called also Corti's ganglion.
- stellate g. — cervicothoracic ganglion.
- sympathetic g. — aggregations of cell bodies of adrenergic neurons of the sympathetic nervous system; these ganglia are arranged in chainlike fashion on either side of the spinal cord.
- thoracic g. — the ganglia on the thoracic portion of the sympathetic trunk.
- trigeminal g. — a ganglion on the sensory root of the fifth cranial nerve. Called also gasserian ganglion and semilunar ganglion.
- tympanic g. — an enlargement on the tympanic branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve.
- vestibular g. — the sensory ganglion of the vestibular part of the eighth cranial nerve, located in the dorsal part of the lateral end of the internal acoustic meatus.
- Walther's g. — ganglion impar.
- Wrisberg's g. — cardiac ganglia.
