Ganglion
| Ganglion | |
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Micrograph of a ganglion. H&E stain.
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| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | ganglion |
| TA | A14.2.00.002 |
| FMA | 5884 |
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Anatomical terminology
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In anatomy, a ganglion (/ˈɡæŋɡliən/ GANG-glee-ən; plural ganglia) is a nerve cell cluster or a group of nerve cell bodies located in the autonomic nervous system. Ganglia house the cell bodies of afferent nerves.
A pseudoganglion looks like a ganglion but only has nerve fibers and has no nerve cell bodies.
In a neurological context, ganglia are composed mainly 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:
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.
The term "ganglion" refers to the peripheral nervous system.
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