Sympathetic trunk

The sympathetic trunk (Latin sympathetic trunk ) is a chain with each other in the longitudinal direction of connected ganglia to the vertebrae of the torso. He is part of the sympathetic nervous system.

The cell bodies of sympathetic neurons are located in the intermediolateral nucleus ( lateral horn ) in the gray matter in the thoracic and lumbar region of the spinal cord. Their axons ( axons ) leave the spinal canal and pull over the white connecting branch ( communicating branch albus ) to the respective segmental ganglion (also Paravertebralganglion, paravertebral ganglion ).

The ganglia are divided according to their position in cervical ganglia ( ganglia cervicalia ), thoracic ganglia ( thoracic ganglia ), abdominal ganglia ( ganglia lumbalia ) and Steißganglien ( sacral ganglia ).

In humans, there are three cervical ganglia: the upper ( superior cervical ganglion ), the median ( middle cervical ganglion ), which, however inconstant - and the lower cervical ganglion ( inferior cervical ganglion ) - so sometimes absent. The inferior cervical ganglion and the uppermost thoracic ganglion merge to the larger ganglion cervicothoracic or stellate ganglion. In veterinary anatomy, the upper and middle cervical ganglion is not expected to sympathetic trunk. Again, the latter is not always macroscopically distinct. The superior cervical ganglion, called with animals cranial cervical ganglion is connected vagosympathicus in most mammals on the trunk of the sympathetic trunk.

The fibers for the Paravertebralganglien of the Cross and Steißabschnitts originate from the lumbar part of the spinal cord.

Of the Paravertebralganglien there are two principal ways:

• Autonomic Nervous System