The intermediolateral nucleus (IML) is a region of

grey matter Grey matter is a major component of the central nervous system, consisting of neuronal Soma (biology), cell bodies, neuropil (dendrites and unmyelinated axons), Glia, glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), synapses, and Capillary, capil ...

found in one of the three

grey column The grey column refers to a somewhat ridge-shaped mass of grey matter in the spinal cord. This presents as three columns: the anterior grey column, the posterior grey column, and the lateral grey column, all of which are visible in cross-section ...

s of the

spinal cord The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the spin ...

, the lateral grey column. This is

Rexed lamina The Rexed laminae comprise a system of ten layers of grey matter (I–X), identified in the early 1950s by Bror Rexed to label portions of the grey columns of the spinal cord. Similar to Brodmann areas, they are defined by their cellular struc ...

VII. The intermediolateral cell column exists at vertebral levels T1 – L3. It mediates the entire sympathetic innervation of the body, but the nucleus resides in the grey matter of the

. Rexed Lamina VII contains several well defined nuclei including the nucleus dorsalis (Clarke's column), the intermediolateral nucleus, and the sacral autonomic nucleus. It extends from T1 to L3, and contains the autonomic

motor neuron A motor neuron (or motoneuron or efferent neuron) is a neuron whose cell body is located in the motor cortex, brainstem or the spinal cord, and whose axon (fiber) projects to the spinal cord or outside of the spinal cord to directly or indirectly ...

s that give rise to the

preganglionic fibers In the autonomic nervous system, fibers from the CNS to the ganglion are known as preganglionic fibers. All preganglionic fibers, whether they are in the sympathetic division or in the parasympathetic division, are cholinergic (that is, thes ...

of the

sympathetic nervous system The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of ...

, (preganglionic sympathetic

general visceral efferent General visceral efferent fibers (GVE) or visceral efferents or autonomic efferents, are the efferent nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system (also known as the ''visceral efferent nervous system'' that provide motor innervation to smooth mu ...

s).

References

Spinal cord {{neuroanatomy-stub