Nerve ganglia: types, locations and functions

The nerve ganglia are an important and sensitive part of the human body, and it has several functions and precise tasks that it performs, so we had to explain to you some important information about it, and how the nerve ganglia work and the most important functions that you perform in your body without you realizing? Follow this article and you will know all this.

What are nerve ganglia?

The ganglia _ ganglia are groups composed together of the bodies of nerve cells that are located throughout the human body, these ganglia are considered part of the nervous system in the body, especially the peripheral nervous system.

The cells that reside in these ganglia are called ganglion cells, and together they form the ganglion nervous system, and they serve as relay stations between the cells of the nervous system.

Form and composition of nerve ganglia

The ganglia cover all parts of the body, and consist of two types of ganglia. The types of ganglia are:

1- sensory nerve ganglia

These nodes are oval in shape, because they contain oval cell bodies formed with nuclei represented in a circular pattern. These nodes are located in certain areas of the body and they are:

  • The dorsal roots of the spinal nerves in the body are known as the dorsal root ganglia.
  • The roots of the cranial nerves, as these ganglia are located in a part of these nerves, such as the trigeminal nerve.

The sensory ganglia in the body are part of it connected to the peripheral nervous system, and the other part is connected to the central nervous system, whether through the spinal cord or the brain.

2- motor neuron ganglia

It is a long series of ganglia formed in the spine, from the beginning of the base of the skull in the body to the end of the spine. The motor ganglia contain cellular bodies, but are not organized in their shape like sensory ganglia.

These motor ganglia are one of the parts of the autonomic nervous system, which controls the functions and movements of the body and involuntary organs. These ganglia are also located in specific areas of the body, such as:

  • Internal body organs, such as the terminal ganglia and pre-vertebral ganglia.
  • Spinal Cord The nodes in the spinal cord are known as paravertebral ganglia.

What are the basal ganglia?

The basal ganglia are the ganglia located in the brain, specifically in:

  • cerebral cortex.
  • brainstem.
  • thalamus;

These ganglia are considered part of the central nervous system, and thus differ from other ganglia in the peripheral nervous system. These ganglia form groups of structures that help regulate voluntary body movements. They also have a key role in the body’s motor control, in addition to being involved in more complex processes in the brain such as emotion and cognition.

Functions of the nerve ganglia in the body

These ganglia have indispensable tasks and functions in the body, and are considered as relay devices or stations within the nervous system, as they enter the nerve signals and transmit through them to the other nerve, and their main role is the connection between the peripheral nervous system of the body and the central nervous system.

The functions of these contracts can be limited to two specific functions, namely:

motor function

In this case, the motor ganglia receive information from the central nervous system in the body, and through this information, they regulate the involuntary body functions and movements, such as the functions of the lungs and heart. It also does the opposite and sends information from these organs to the central nervous system.

sensory function

In this case, the sensory ganglia, or what is known as the dorsal root ganglia, send sensory information from the senses to the central nervous system. This information consists of smell, touch, hearing, taste and visual stimuli.

In addition, these ganglia provide reports on the position of the body and any sensory reaction of the body organs in an organized and rapid manner, such as in the event of stomach pain, the sensory ganglia carry the signals or messages of sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system to tell it that there is a problem And that there is a member not so well.

The most common neurodegenerative diseases

There are some cases and injuries that affect the nerve ganglia in the body, let’s get to know them.

1- Injuries affecting the nerve ganglia

There are some injuries and health problems that may directly affect the nerve ganglia and basal ganglia in the body, the most famous of these injuries:

  • Various head trauma.
  • exposure to infection.
  • Poisoning.
  • The presence of brain tumors.
  • Exposure to drug overdose.
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • Strokes.

2- Conditions affecting the basal ganglia and voluntary movements

There are some conditions that particularly affect the basal ganglia and voluntary movements in the body, including:

  • Huntington’s disease.
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Dystonia, or dystonia.
  • Progressive supranuclear palsy.

Conditions of the basal ganglia in the brain are often very serious and may cause permanent disabilities or death to the affected person.

3- Cases that affect the rest of the nerve ganglia in the body

In the event of any damage or malfunction of the other nerve ganglia in the body, immediate problems may occur, such as glaucoma, which occurs as a result of damage to the nerve ganglia that are associated with vision.

In the case of injury or damage to the dorsal root ganglia, this causes pressure on the spinal vertebrae or exposure to sensory problems, such as exposure to tingling of the feet.

There are also health conditions that affect the peripheral nervous system in the body and thus affect the nerve ganglia in it, and these cases include:

  • Infections occur.
  • exposure to injuries.
  • genetic disorders.
  • Genetic congenital anomalies.
  • Problems with the flow of blood in the body.
  • Tumors.

How to maintain the health of the difficult knots

These nodes work within a delicate system within the body, affected by various diseases and health conditions, so there are no specific steps that can be relied upon to maintain their health.

All you have to do is avoid getting serious head injuries that may cause damage to the basal ganglia in the brain and this may cause permanent disability.

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