GANGLION
(plural: ganglia)
Image of a retinal ganglion cell. Source: Wong KY, Dunn
FA, Berson DM. Photoreceptor adaptation in intrinsically
photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. Neuron. 2005;
48(6),
1001-1010.
A ganglion is an encapsulated structure of the nervous system, that consists of a collection of neurons linked by synapses.
Ganglia often interconnect with other ganglia to form an intricate network known as a plexus. The function of a ganglion cell is to serve as a relay point and intermediary connector between different neural structures, such as the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
There are two major categories of ganglion cells.
- Dorsal root ganglia contain the cell bodies of sensory nerves. They also are known as the spinal ganglia.
- Autonomic ganglia contain the cell bodies of autonomic nerves.
Additional Information about Ganglion Cells
Fundamentals of Neuroscience (designed for persons with a high-school education or greater)
Neurology: An Illustrated Colour Text
Handbook of Basal Ganglia Structure and Function
Related Structures
Amacrine cell
Glial cell
Neuron
Parasympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system
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