Corpus: Sympathetic ganglion

Sympathetic ganglia are collections of nerve cells (ganglia) of the sympathetic nervous system. They belong to the autonomic ganglia.

The sympathetic ganglia are categorised according to their location as follows

• borderline ganglia and the
• prevertebral ganglia

In both types of ganglia, the cell bodies of the preganglionic neurons are located in the spinal cord.

Border ganglia[Bearbeiten]

The border ganglia are also known as paravertebral ganglia due to their location next to the spinal column. The preganglionic fibres leave the spinal nerve via a ramus communicans albus and are switched to postganglionic fibres by the ganglion cells of the border ganglia. They leave the ganglia as a ramus communicans griseus, which again confluences with the spinal nerve. They travel with the spinal nerve to their target organs in the periphery.

Prevertebral ganglia[Bearbeiten]

The prevertebral ganglia lie ventrally in front of the spinal column. They are located there near the large abdominal vessels. Their preganglionic fibres also run through the border ganglia, but without being connected there. The connection to the postganglionic fibres only takes place in the prevertebral ganglion. The 3 largest prevertebral ganglia are:

• Ganglia coeliaca
• Ganglion mesentericum superius
• inferior mesenteric ganglion