The cervical ganglia are

paravertebral ganglia The sympathetic ganglia, or paravertebral ganglia, are autonomic ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system. Ganglia are 20,000 to 30,000 Afferent nerve fiber, afferent and Efferent nerve fiber, efferent nerve cell bodies that run along on either s ...

of the

sympathetic nervous system The sympathetic nervous system (SNS or SANS, sympathetic autonomic nervous system, to differentiate it from the somatic nervous system) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the parasympathetic nervous sy ...

Preganglionic In the autonomic nervous system, nerve fibers from the central nervous system to the autonomic ganglion, ganglion are known as preganglionic nerve fibers. All preganglionic fibers, whether they are in the sympathetic nervous system, sympathetic d ...

nerves from the thoracic spinal cord enter into the cervical ganglions and synapse with its

postganglionic In the autonomic nervous system, nerve fibers from the ganglion to the wikt:effector, effector organ are called postganglionic nerve fibers. Neurotransmitters The neurotransmitters of postganglionic fibers differ: * In the parasympathetic div ...

fibers or nerves. The cervical ganglion has three

: *

superior cervical ganglion The superior cervical ganglion (SCG) is the upper-most and largest of the cervical sympathetic ganglia of the sympathetic trunk. It probably formed by the union of four sympathetic ganglia of the cervical spinal nerves C1–C4. It is the only ...

(largest) – adjacent to C2 & C3; postganglionic axon projects to target: (heart, head, neck) via "hitchhiking" on the carotid arteries *

middle cervical ganglion The middle cervical ganglion is the smallest of the three cervical sympathetic ganglia (i.e. of the cervical portion of the sympathetic trunk). It presumably represents the merging of the sympathetic ganglia of cervical segments C5–C6. It is us ...

(smallest) – adjacent to C6; target: heart, neck *

inferior cervical ganglion The inferior cervical ganglion is one of the three cervical sympathetic ganglia (i.e. of the cervical portion of the sympathetic trunk). It is situated between the base of the transverse process of the last cervical vertebra and the neck of the ...

. The inferior ganglion may be fused with the first

thoracic ganglion The thoracic ganglia are paravertebral ganglia. The thoracic portion of the sympathetic trunk typically has 12 thoracic ganglia. Emerging from the ganglia are thoracic splanchnic nerves (the cardiopulmonary, the greater, lesser, and least splanch ...

to form a single structure, the

stellate ganglion The stellate ganglion (or cervicothoracic ganglion) is a sympathetic ganglion formed by the fusion of the inferior cervical ganglion and the first thoracic (superior thoracic sympathetic) ganglion, which is present in 80% of individuals. Sometimes ...

. – adjacent to C7; target: heart, lower neck, arm, posterior cranial arteries Nerves emerging from cervical sympathetic ganglia contribute to the

cardiac plexus The cardiac plexus is a plexus of nerves situated at the base of the heart that innervates the heart. Structure The cardiac plexus is divided into a superficial part, which lies in the concavity of the aortic arch, and a deep part, between the ao ...

, among other things. Unlike all other ganglia, the medial branches of the cervical ganglia are 95% postganglionic axons.

Additional images

File:Slide1EBAB.JPG, Muscles, arteries and nerves of neck. Newborn dissection.

References

External links

* – "The Sympathetic Trunk and Cervical Ganglia" * * http://www.instantanatomy.net/headneck/nerves/autonomic/cervicalgangliaconnections.html * http://www.instantanatomy.net/headneck/nerves/autonomic/cervicalganglianeck.html {{Autonomic Autonomic ganglia