Nerve: Submandibular ganglion
Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. (Submandibular ganglion visible at bottom left, but not labeled.)
Parasympathetic connections of the submaxillary and superior cervical ganglia. (Submaxillary ganglion labeled at center right.)
Latin	ganglion submandibulare
Gray's	subject #200 898
Innervates	submandibular gland, sublingual gland

The submandibular ganglion (or submaxillary ganglion in older texts) is part of the human autonomic nervous system. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck. (The others are the otic ganglion, pterygopalatine ganglion, and ciliary ganglion).

Contents 1 Function 2 Location and relations 3 Fibers 4 Additional images 5 External links

[edit] Function

The submandibular ganglion is responsible for innervation of two salivary glands: the submandibular gland and sublingual gland.

[edit] Location and relations

The submandibular ganglion is small and fusiform in shape. It is situated above the deep portion of the submandibular gland, on the hyoglossus muscle, near the posterior border of the mylohyoid muscle.

The ganglion 'hangs' by two nerve filaments from the lower border of the lingual nerve (itself a branch of the mandibular nerve, CN V₃). It is suspended from the lingual nerve by two filaments, one anterior and one posterior. Through the posterior of these it receives a branch from the chorda tympani nerve which runs in the sheath of the lingual nerve.

[edit] Fibers

Like other parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck, the submandibular ganglion is the site of synapse for parasympathetic fibers and carries other types of nerve fiber that do not synapse in the ganglion. In summary, the fibers carried in the ganglion are:

• Sympathetic fibers from the external carotid plexus, via the facial artery and its branches. These do not synapse in this ganglion.
• Preganglionic parasympathetic fibers from the superior salivatory nucleus of the medulla oblongata, via the chorda tympani and lingual nerve, which synapse at the origin of:
• Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers to the oral mucosa and the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands.

[edit] Additional images

Mandibular division of trifacial nerve, seen from the middle line.

Diagram of efferent sympathetic nervous system.

[edit] External links

• SUNY Figs 27:03-10
• cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (V, VII)
• Anatomy at UMich head_autonomics_module/autonomics_09
• Submandibular+ganglion at eMedicine Dictionary

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v • d • e Nerves of head and neck: the cranial nerves and nuclei (TA A14.2.01, GA 9.855) olfactory (AON->I) olfactory bulb · olfactory tract optic (LGN->II) optic chiasm · optic tract oculomotor (ON, EWN->III) superior branch (parasympathetic root of ciliary ganglion/ciliary ganglion) · inferior branch trochlear (TN->IV) no significant branches trigeminal (PSN,TSN,MN,TMN->V) trigeminal ganglion • ophthalmic • maxillary • mandibular abducens (AN->VI) no significant branches facial (FMN,SN,SSN->VII) near origin nervus intermedius • geniculate inside facial canal greater petrosal (pterygopalatine ganglion) · nerve to the stapedius · chorda tympani (lingual nerve, submandibular ganglion) at stylomastoid foramen posterior auricular · suprahyoid (digastric, stylohyoid) · parotid plexus (temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, cervical) vestibulocochlear (VN, CN->VIII) cochlear (striae medullares, lateral lemniscus) • vestibular (Scarpa's ganglion) glossopharyngeal (NA, ISN, SN->IX) before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa tympanic (tympanic plexus, lesser petrosal, otic ganglion) • stylopharyngeal branch • pharyngeal branches • tonsillar branches • lingual branches • carotid sinus vagus (NA, DNVN, SN->X) before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa meningeal branch · auricular branch neck pharyngeal branch (pharyngeal plexus) · superior laryngeal (external, internal) · recurrent laryngeal (inferior) · superior cervical cardiac thorax inferior cardiac · pulmonary · vagal trunks (anterior, posterior) abdomen celiac · renal · hepatic · anterior gastric · posterior gastric accessory (NA,SAN->XI) cranial · spinal hypoglossal (HN->XII) lingual branches

v • d • e The cranial nerves: trigeminal nerve ophthalmic (V1) frontal: supratrochlear · supraorbital (lateral branch, medial branch) nasociliary: long ciliary · infratrochlear · posterior ethmoidal · anterior ethmoidal (external nasal, internal nasal) · sensory root of ciliary ganglion (ciliary ganglion) lacrimal maxillary (V2) in meninges middle meningeal in pterygopalatine fossa zygomatic (zygomaticotemporal, zygomaticofacial) · pterygopalatine (pterygopalatine ganglion see below for details) · posterior superior alveolar in infraorbital canal infraorbital nerve: superior alveolar (middle, anterior) · internal nasal branches on face inferior palpebral · external nasal · superior labial (infraorbital plexus) mandibular (V3) in meninges meningeal anterior to muscles of mastication (medial pterygoid/to tensor veli palatini, lateral pterygoid, masseteric, deep temporal) · buccal posterior auriculotemporal (otic ganglion) · lingual (submandibular ganglion) · inferior alveolar (mylohyoid, mental)

v • d • e Nerves - autonomic nervous system (sympathetic nervous system/ganglion/trunks and parasympathetic nervous system/ganglion) (TA A14.3, GA 9.968) Head/ cranial Sympathetic Ciliary ganglion: roots (Sensory, Sympathetic) · Short ciliary Parasympathetic Ciliary ganglion: roots (Sensory, Parasympathetic) · Short ciliary Pterygopalatine ganglion: deep petrosal · nerve of pterygoid canal branches of distribution: greater palatine (inferior posterior nasal branches) · lesser palatine · nasopalatine (medial superior posterior nasal branches) · pharyngeal Submandibular ganglion Otic ganglion Neck/ cervical Sympathetic paravertebral ganglia: Cervical ganglia (Superior, Middle, Inferior) · Stellate ganglion prevertebral plexus: Cavernous plexus · Internal carotid Chest/ thorax Sympathetic paravertebral ganglia: Thoracic ganglia prevertebral plexus: Cardiac plexus · Esophageal plexus · Pulmonary plexus · Thoracic aortic plexus splanchnic nerves: cardiopulmonary · thoracic cardiac nerves: Superior · Middle · Inferior Abdomen/ Lumbar Sympathetic paravertebral ganglia: Lumbar ganglia prevertebral ganglia: Celiac ganglia (Aorticorenal) · Superior mesenteric ganglion · Inferior mesenteric ganglion prevertebral plexus: Celiac plexus · (Hepatic, Splenic, Pancreatic) · aorticorenal (Abdominal aortic plexus, Renal/Suprarenal) · Superior mesenteric (Gastric) · Inferior mesenteric (Spermatic, Ovarian) · Superior hypogastric (hypogastric nerve, Superior rectal) · Inferior hypogastric (Vesical, Prostatic/Cavernous nerves of penis, Uterovaginal, Middle rectal) splanchnic nerves: Lumbar splanchnic nerves Enteric Meissner's plexus · Auerbach's plexus Pelvis/ sacral Sympathetic paravertebral ganglia: Sacral ganglia · Ganglion impar splanchnic nerves: Sacral splanchnic nerves Parasympathetic splanchnic nerves: Pelvic splanchnic nerves