The suboesophageal ganglion (acronym: SOG; synonym: ''subesophageal ganglion'') of arthropods and in particular insects is part of the

arthropod central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain, spinal cord and retina. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity o ...

(CNS). As indicated by its name, it is located ''below the'' ''

oesophagus The esophagus (American English), oesophagus (British English), or œsophagus ( archaic spelling) ( see spelling difference) all ; : ((o)e)(œ)sophagi or ((o)e)(œ)sophaguses), colloquially known also as the food pipe, food tube, or gullet, ...

'', inside the head. As part of the ventral nerve cord, it is connected (via pairs of connections) to the brain (or supraoesophageal ganglion) and to 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 ...

(or protothoracic ganglion). Its nerves innervate the sensory organs and muscles of the mouthparts and the

salivary glands The salivary glands in many vertebrates including mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva through a system of Duct (anatomy), ducts. Humans have three paired major salivary glands (Parotid gland, parotid, Submandibular gland, submandibula ...

. Neurons in the suboesophageal ganglion control movement of the head and neck as well. It is composed of three pairs of fused

ganglia A ganglion (: ganglia) is a group of neuron cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system. In the somatic nervous system, this includes dorsal root ganglia and trigeminal ganglia among a few others. In the autonomic nervous system, there a ...

, each of which is associated with a pair of mouthparts. Therefore, the fused parts are called the

mandibular In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone i ...

, maxillary and labial ganglia.

References

Insect anatomy {{insect-anatomy-stub