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 The otic ganglion is a small parasympathetic ganglion located immediately below the foramen ovale (skull), foramen ovale in the infratemporal fossa and on the medial surface of the mandibular nerve. It is functionally associated with the glossopha ...

, pterygopalatine ganglion, and ciliary ganglion).

Location and relations

The submandibular ganglion is small and

fusiform Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends. It is similar to the lemon-shape, but often implies a focal broadening of a structure that continues from one or both ends, such as an aneurysm on a ...

in shape. It is situated above the deep portion of the

submandibular gland The paired submandibular glands (historically known as submaxillary glands) are major salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. They each weigh about 15 grams and contribute some 60–67% of unstimulated saliva secretion; on stimula ...

, on the

hyoglossus muscle The hyoglossus, thin and quadrilateral, arises from the side of the body and from the whole length of the greater cornu of the hyoid bone, and passes almost vertically upward to enter the side of the tongue, between the styloglossus and the infe ...

, 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 In neuroanatomy, the mandibular nerve (V) is the largest of the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth cranial nerve (CN V). Unlike the other divisions of the trigeminal nerve ( ophthalmic nerve, maxillary nerve) which contain only ...

, 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.

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 nerve The facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, cranial nerve VII, or simply CN VII, is a cranial nerve that emerges from the pons of the brainstem, controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of ta ...

and its branches. These do not synapse in this ganglion. * Preganglionic parasympathetic fibers from the

superior salivatory nucleus The salivatory nuclei are the superior salivatory nucleus, and the inferior salivatory nucleus that innervate the salivary glands. They are located in the pontine tegmentum in the brainstem. They both are examples of cranial nerve nuclei. The ...

of the

Pons The pons (from Latin , "bridge") is part of the brainstem that in humans and other bipeds lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the medulla oblongata and anterior to the cerebellum. The pons is also called the pons Varolii ("bridge of ...

, via the chorda tympani and lingual nerve, which synapse at this ganglion. * Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers to the

oral mucosa The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth. It comprises stratified squamous epithelium, termed "oral epithelium", and an underlying connective tissue termed '' lamina propria''. The oral cavity has sometimes been des ...

and the submandibular and

sublingual Sublingual ( abbreviated SL), from the Latin for "under the tongue", refers to the pharmacological route of administration by which substances diffuse into the blood through tissues under the tongue. The sublingual glands receive their pr ...

salivary glands. They are secretomotor to these glands. Some of the postganglionic fibers reach the sublingual gland after they re-enter the lingual nerve.

Additional images

File:Gray782.png, Mandibular division of trifacial nerve, seen from the middle line. File:Gray839.png, Diagram of efferent sympathetic nervous system.

References

External links

* * (, ) * {{Authority control Autonomic ganglia of the head and neck Mandibular nerve Parasympathetic ganglia