Sympathetic ganglia

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Sympathetic Ganglia

Sympathetic ganglia (pronunciation: sim-puh-thet-ik gang-lee-uh) are clusters of nerve cell bodies, or neurons, that are part of the sympathetic nervous system. They play a crucial role in the body's fight or flight response.

Etymology

The term 'sympathetic ganglia' is derived from the Greek words 'syn' meaning 'with' or 'together', 'pathos' meaning 'feeling', and 'ganglion' meaning 'knot'. This refers to the interconnected network of neurons that work together to regulate the body's response to stress.

Function

Sympathetic ganglia are responsible for transmitting signals from the brain to various parts of the body. They help regulate a variety of bodily functions, including heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. There are two types of sympathetic ganglia: prevertebral and paravertebral.

  • Prevertebral ganglia are located in the abdomen and pelvis. They primarily control the function of the organs in these regions.
  • Paravertebral ganglia form a chain along the spine. They are involved in controlling the function of the heart, lungs, and other thoracic organs.

Related Terms

  • Sympathetic nervous system - The part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for action by speeding up the heart rate, increasing blood pressure, and diverting blood flow to the muscles.
  • Neuron - A nerve cell that is the basic building block of the nervous system.
  • Fight or flight response - The body's physiological response to perceived harmful events, attacks, or threats to survival.

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski