Table of Contents
What makes up the sympathetic chain?
The sympathetic trunks (sympathetic chain, gangliated cord) are a paired bundle of nerve fibers that run from the base of the skull to the coccyx. They are a major component of the sympathetic nervous system….
| Sympathetic trunk | |
|---|---|
| FMA | 6258 |
| Anatomical terminology |
What is sympathetic chain?
Medical Definition of sympathetic chain : either of the pair of ganglionated longitudinal cords of the sympathetic nervous system of which one is situated on each side of the spinal column. — called also sympathetic trunk. — compare vertebral ganglion.
What does the sympathetic chain ganglia contain?
Sympathetic Ganglia They contain approximately 20,000–30,000 nerve cell bodies and are located close to and on either side of the spinal cord in long chains. Sympathetic ganglia are the tissue from which neuroblastoma tumors arise.
What are the components and functions of the SNS ANS and ENS?
The SNS can increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels, dilate the bronchioles in the lungs, and activate sweat glands to cause the body to perform at a higher level under stress. The ENS is another part of the ANS and stands for the enteric nervous system.
How is sympathetic trunk formed?
The sympathetic chain is external to the spinal column, adjacent to the vertebral bodies and within the perivertebral space. It is comprised of paired, longitudinally arranged, paravertebral sympathetic ganglia linked together by myelinated axons forming the sympathetic trunk.
How many sympathetic chains are there?
peripheral nervous system …are connected to form the sympathetic chain, or trunk. There are usually 21 or 22 pairs of these ganglia—3 in the cervical region, 10 or 11 in the thoracic region, 4 in the lumbar region, and 4 in the sacral region—and a single unpaired ganglion lying in front of the…
Are there two sympathetic chains?
The sympathetic chain is a ganglionated chain present bilaterally extending from the base of the skull to the coccyx. It divides into cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral segments. The two side chains fuse at the ganglion in front of the sacrococcygeal junction.
What is preganglionic sympathetic fibers?
In the autonomic nervous system, fibers from the CNS to the ganglion are known as preganglionic fibers. All preganglionic fibers, whether they are in the sympathetic division or in the parasympathetic division, are cholinergic (that is, these fibers use acetylcholine as their neurotransmitter) and they are myelinated.
Where does the sympathetic chain originate?
The sympathetic innervation to the upper extremities and head originates from the fifth through seventh thoracic segments of the spinal cord. Their preganglionic fibers synapse in the cervical sympathetic chain in the superior, middle, or inferior ganglia.
What are the components of the autonomic nervous system?
The autonomic nervous system has three branches: the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system.
What are the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions have complementary roles: the sympathetic division functions in actions requiring quick responses (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic division regulates actions that do not require rapid responsiveness (rest and digest).
Where does the sympathetic chain start?
spinal cord
The general rule of interaction of the nerve fibers in the sympathetic nervous system begins at the spinal cord. Here they arise from the thoracolumbar (T1-L2) regions’ lateral horn of grey and emerge via the ventral root. They enter their respective spinal nerve (e.g. T5), and thus enter the white ramus communicans.