Micrograph of a ganglion. H&E stain.

In anatomy, a ganglion (pronounced /ˈɡæŋɡliən/, GANG-glee-ən, plural ganglia) is a biological tissue mass, most commonly a mass of nerve cell bodies.^[1] Cells found in a ganglion are called ganglion cells, though this term is also sometimes used to refer specifically to retinal ganglion cells.

In some dinosaurs, the ganglion in the pelvis was so large relative to its brain that it could almost be said to have two brains.^[2]

[edit] Neurology

In neurological contexts, ganglia are composed mainly of somata and dendritic structures which are bundled or connected together. 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.

There are two major groups of ganglia:

• Dorsal root ganglia (also known as the spinal ganglia) contain the cell bodies of sensory (afferent) nerves.
• 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.

[edit] Basal ganglia

The term "ganglion" usually refers to the peripheral nervous system.^[3]

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.

[edit] Additional images

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]].

[edit] See also

• Ganglion cell
• Ganglion cyst
• Nervous system
• Neuron

[edit] References