The ureteric plexus (plexus: "braid") is a branching network of intersecting nerves (

nerve plexus A nerve plexus is a plexus (branching network) of intersecting nerves. A nerve plexus is composed of afferent and efferent fibers that arise from the merging of the anterior rami of spinal nerves and blood vessels. There are five spinal nerve ple ...

) covering and innervating the

ureter The ureters are tubes composed of smooth muscle that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In an adult human, the ureters typically measure 20 to 30 centimeters in length and about 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. They are lin ...

. The plexus can be graduated into three parts, as the ureter itself can be divided: In the upper part of the ureter, the plexus gets its

nerve fiber An axon (from Greek ἄξων ''áxōn'', axis) or nerve fiber (or nerve fibre: see spelling differences) is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, in vertebrates, that typically conducts electrical impulses known as action pot ...

s mainly from the

renal plexus The renal plexus is a complex network of nerves formed by filaments from the celiac ganglia and plexus, aorticorenal ganglia, lower thoracic splanchnic nerves and first lumbar splanchnic nerve and aortic plexus. The nerves from these sourc ...

, but also from the

abdominal aortic plexus The abdominal aortic plexus (not to be confused with the thoracic aortic plexus) is formed by branches derived, on either side, from the celiac plexus and ganglia, and receives filaments from some of the lumbar ganglia. It is situated upon the si ...

. In the intermediate part the plexus receives nervous input from the

superior hypogastric plexus The superior hypogastric plexus (in older texts, hypogastric plexus or presacral nerve) is a plexus of nerves situated on the vertebral bodies anterior to the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. It bifurcates to form the left and the right hypog ...

and in the lower part from the

inferior hypogastric plexus Inferior may refer to: * Inferiority complex * An anatomical term of location * Inferior angle of the scapula, in the human skeleton * ''Inferior'' (book), by Angela Saini * '' The Inferior'', a 2007 novel by Peadar Ó Guilín * Inferior good: ...

. The plexus contains both sympathetic and

parasympathetic The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for regulat ...

fibers, where the sympathetic components come from T11 to L2 levels of the

spinal cord The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata in the lower brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone) of vertebrate animals. The center of the spinal c ...

. Preganglionic

vagal The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve (CN X), plays a crucial role in the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating involuntary functions within the human body. This nerve carries both sensory and motor fibe ...

fibers (vagal fibers before passing through a ganglion) run through the

celiac plexus The celiac plexus, also known as the solar plexus because of its radiating nerve fibers, is a nerve plexus, complex network of nerves located in the abdomen, near where the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and renal arteries branch fro ...

and reach the ureteric plexus.

Sources

* * Nerve plexus Vagus nerve {{genitourinary-stub