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This article is about neuron clusters. For other uses, see Ganglion (disambiguation).
"Ganglia" redirects here. For other uses, see Ganglia (disambiguation).
Ganglion high mag.jpg
Micrograph of a ganglion. H&E stain.
Latin ganglion
TA A14.2.00.002
FMA FMA:5884
Anatomical terminology

In anatomy, a ganglion (/ˈɡæŋɡliən/ GANG-glee-ən; plural ganglia) is a nerve cell cluster[1] or a group of nerve cell bodies located in the peripheral nervous system.[2][3] Cells found in a ganglion are called ganglion cells, though this term is also sometimes used to refer specifically to retinal ganglion cells.


In neurological contexts, ganglia are composed mainly of somata and dendritic structures which are bundled or connected. Ganglia often interconnect with other ganglia to form a complex system of ganglia known as a plexus. Ganglia provide relay points and intermediary connections between different neurological structures in the body, such as the peripheral and central nervous systems.

Among vertebrates there are three major groups of ganglia:


Basal ganglia[edit]

The term "ganglion" refers to the peripheral nervous system.[4]

However, in the brain (part of the central nervous system), the "basal ganglia", or basal nuclei, is a group of nuclei interconnected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus and brainstem, associated with a variety of functions: motor control, cognition, emotions, and learning.

Partly due to this ambiguity, the Terminologia Anatomica recommends using the term basal nuclei instead of basal ganglia; however, this usage has not been generally adopted.


A pseudoganglion is a localized thickening of the main part or trunk of a nerve that has the appearance of a ganglion but has only nerve fibres and no nerve cells.[5]

Pseudoganglia are found in the teres minor muscle[6] and radial nerve.[citation needed]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Sadava, David; Heller, H. Craig; Orians, Gordon H.; Purves, William K.; Hillis, David M. (2008). Life: The Science of Biology (8th ed.). W. H. Freeman. p. 943. ISBN 9780716776710. 
  2. ^ "ganglion" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  3. ^ Brodal, Per (2010). The Central Nervous System. Oxford University Press. p. 5. ISBN 9780195381153. In the CNS, such a group is called a nucleus and in the peripheral nervous system (PSN), a ganglion. 
  4. ^ "UNSW Embryology- Glossary G". Retrieved 2008-01-13. [dead link]
  5. ^ "pseudoganglion". TheFreeDictionary. Retrieved 2 February 2014. 
  6. ^ Gitlin, G. (Oct 1957). "Concerning the gangliform enlargement (pseudoganglion) on the nerve to the teres minor muscle". Journal of Anatomy 91 (4): 466–70. PMC 1244902. PMID 13475146.