paravertebral ganglia

(noun)

Located along the length of the sympathetic trunk, these ganglia are designated as cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral and, except in the neck, closely correspond in number to the vertebrae.

Related Terms

Examples of paravertebral ganglia in the following topics:

  • Sympathetic Nervous System

    • Sympathetic ganglia are the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system that initiate fight-or-flight, stress-mediated responses.
    • The sympathetic ganglia are the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system (the red lines in the diagram below).
    • The bilaterally symmetric sympathetic chain ganglia, also called the paravertebral ganglia, are located just ventral and lateral to the spinal cord.
    • Neurons of the collateral ganglia, also called the prevertebral ganglia, receive input from the splanchnic nerves and innervate organs of the abdominal and pelvic region.
    • These include the celiac ganglia, the superior mesenteric ganglia, and the inferior mesenteric ganglia.

  • Preganglionic Neurons

    • In the autonomic nervous system (ANS), nerve fibers that connect the central nervous system to ganglia are known as preganglionic fibers.
    • Sympathetic preganglionic fibers tend to be shorter than parasympathetic preganglionic fibers because sympathetic ganglia are often closer to the spinal cord while parasympathetic preganglionic fibers tend to project to and synapse with the postganglionic fiber close to the target organ.
    • The paravertebral ganglia of the sympathetic chain (these run on either side of the vertebral bodies), cervical ganglia, thoracic ganglia, rostral lumbar ganglia, caudal lumbar ganglia, and pelvic ganglia.
    • The prevertebral ganglia celiac ganglion, aorticorenal ganglion, superior mesenteric ganglion, inferior mesenteric ganglion.
    • The site of synapse formation and this divergence for both the sympathetic and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons does, however, occur within ganglia situated within the peripheral nervous system.

  • Postganglionic Neurons

    • At the synapses within the ganglia, the preganglionic neurons release acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that activates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on postganglionic neurons.
    • Presynaptic nerves' axons terminate in either the paravertebral ganglia or prevertebral ganglia.
    • In all cases, the axon enters the paravertebral ganglion at the level of its originating spinal nerve.
    • Because paravertebral and prevertebral ganglia are relatively close to the spinal cord, presynaptic neurons are generally much shorter than their postsynaptic counterparts, which must extend throughout the body to reach their destinations.
    • The vagus nerve does not participate in these cranial ganglia, as most of its fibers are destined for a broad array of ganglia on or near the thoracic viscera (esophagus, trachea, heart, lungs) and the abdominal viscera (stomach, pancreas, liver, kidneys).

  • Autonomic Ganglia

    • The two main categories are: sympathetic ganglia and parasympathetic ganglia.
    • Sympathetic ganglia are the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system.
    • The bilaterally symmetric sympathetic chain ganglia—also called the paravertebral ganglia—are located just ventral and lateral to the spinal cord.
    • These include the celiac ganglia, superior mesenteric ganglia, and inferior mesenteric ganglia.
    • Parasympathetic ganglia are the autonomic ganglia of the parasympathetic nervous system.

  • Overview of the Spinal Nerves

    • Thoracic nerve branches exit the spine and go directly to the paravertebral ganglia of the autonomic nervous system, where they are involved in the functions of organs and glands in the head, neck, thorax, and abdomen.

  • Parasympathetic (Craniosacral) Division

    • Parasympathetic ganglia are the autonomic ganglia of the parasympathetic nervous system that lie near or within the organs they innervate.
    • Parasympathetic ganglia are the autonomic ganglia of the parasympathetic nervous system, blue fibers).
    • Most are small terminal ganglia or intramural ganglia, so named because they lie near or within (respectively) the organs they innervate.
    • The exceptions are the four paired parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck.
    • Some ganglia also carry special sensory fibers (special visceral afferent) for taste sensation.

  • Basal Ganglia

    • The basal ganglia is important for initiating planned movements and forming habits, both referred to as 'behavior selection' or 'switching'.
    • One of the most intensively studied functions of the basal ganglia (BG) is its role in controlling precise eye movements.
    • The basal ganglia play a central role in a number of neurological conditions, including several movement disorders.
    • Two schematic drawings of coronal sections of human brain labelling the basal ganglia.
    • The basal nuclei are often referred to as the basal ganglia.

  • Disorders of the Basal Ganglia

    • Basal ganglia disease refers to physical dysfunctions that occur when basal ganglia fail to suppress unwanted movements.
    • An example of a hypokinetic basal ganglia disease is Parkinsonism.
    • An example of a hyperkinetic basal ganglia disease is Huntington's Disease.
    • The basal ganglia is a collective group of structures in the brain .
    • This is a diagram of the main circuits of the basal ganglia.

  • The Role of the Basal Ganglia in Movement

    • The basal ganglia are responsible for voluntary motor control, procedural learning, and eye movement, as well as cognitive and emotional functions.
    • Currently popular theories hold that the basal ganglia play a primary role in action selection.
    • One of the most intensively studied functions of the basal ganglia is their role in controlling eye movements.
    • This diagram shows the main circuits of the basal ganglia.
    • Two coronal slices have been superimposed to include the involved basal ganglia structures.

  • Clusters of Neuronal Cell Bodies

    • One exception is the basal ganglia which are located not in the periphery but rather in the forebrain.
    • Ganglia are composed mainly of neuron cell bodies (somata) and dendritic structures.
    • Satellite glial cells (SGCs) also surround neuron cell bodies within ganglia.
    • SGCs have been found to hold a variety of roles, including control over the microenvironment of sympathetic ganglia.
    • Satellite glial cells are expressed throughout the sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia in their respective nervous system divisions.