The cervical ganglia are paravertebral ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system. These emerging postganglionic nerves synapse with preganglionic nerves from the thoracic spinal cord. They consist of three paravertebral ganglia: superior cervical ganglion middle cervical ganglion inferior cervical ganglion. The inferior ganglion may be fused with the first thoracic ganglion to form a single structure, the stellate ganglion. Nerves emerging from cervical sympathetic ganglia contribute to the cardiac plexus, among other things.
Synonyms:
exact_synonym:
cervical part of sympathetic trunk; cervical sympathetic chain; cervical sympathetic trunk