Superior cervical ganglion

Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |

Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Neuroscience · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology (Index, Outline)

---

Nerve: Superior cervical ganglion
Diagram of the cervical sympathetic. (Labeled as "Upper cervical ganglion")
The right sympathetic chain and its connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexuses. (Labeld at upper left.)
Latin	ganglion cervicale superius
Gray's	subject #216 978
Innervates
From
To
MeSH	A08.340.315.350.850

The superior cervical ganglion (SCG), the largest of the cervical ganglia, is placed opposite the second and third cervical vertebræ. It contains neurons that supply sympathetic innervation to the face.

It is of a reddish-gray color, and usually fusiform in shape; sometimes broad and flattened, and occasionally constricted at intervals; it is believed to be formed by the coalescence of four ganglia, corresponding to the upper four cervical nerves. However, note that these fibers are postganglionic fibers that have already synapsed with preganglionic sympathetic fibers derived from the T1 to T4 levels of the spinal cord. The bodies of these preganglionic sympathetic neurons are specifically located in the lateral horn of the spinal cord.

The superior cervical ganglion lies posterior to the sheath of the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein, and anterior to the Longus capitis muscle.

It receives input from the ciliospinal center.

Additional images

The right sympathetic chain and its connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexuses.

Diagram of efferent sympathetic nervous system.

Sympathetic connections of the ciliary and superior cervical ganglia.

The position and relation of the esophagus in the cervical region and in the posterior mediastinum. Seen from behind.

External links

• GPnotebook 2134179900
• SUNY Labs 31:07-0201

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

|}