The celiac ganglia or coeliac ganglia are two large irregularly shaped masses of nerve tissue in the upper

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...

. Part of the sympathetic subdivision of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the two celiac ganglia are the largest ganglia in the ANS, and they innervate most of the

digestive tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

. They have the appearance of

lymph glands A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphocytes that include ...

and are placed on either side of the midline in front of the crura of the diaphragm, close to the

suprarenal glands The adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are endocrine glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol. They are found above the kidneys. Each gland has an outer cortex whic ...

(also called adrenal glands). The ganglion on the right side is placed behind the

inferior vena cava The inferior vena cava is a large vein that carries the deoxygenated blood from the lower and middle body into the right atrium of the heart. It is formed by the joining of the right and the left common iliac veins, usually at the level of th ...

. They are sometimes referred to as the semilunar ganglia or the solar ganglia.

Neurotransmission

The celiac ganglion is part of the sympathetic prevertebral chain possessing a great variety of specific receptors and neurotransmitters such as

catecholamine A catecholamine (; abbreviated CA) is a monoamine neurotransmitter, an organic compound that has a catechol (benzene with two hydroxyl side groups next to each other) and a side-chain amine. Catechol can be either a free molecule or a su ...

neuropeptide Neuropeptides are chemical messengers made up of small chains of amino acids that are synthesized and released by neurons. Neuropeptides typically bind to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate neural activity and other tissues like the ...

s, and nitric oxide and constitutes a modulation center in the pathway of the afferent and efferent fibers between the central nervous system and the ovary. The main preganglion neurotransmitter of the celiac ganglion is acetylcholine, yet the celiac ganglion-mesenteric complex also contain α and β adrenergic receptors and is innervated by fibers of adrenergic nature that come from other preaortic ganglia.

Path

The upper part of each ganglion is joined by the

greater splanchnic nerve Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality * ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record * "Greater" (song), by MercyMe, 2014 *Greater Bank Greater Ban ...

, while the lower part, which is segmented off and named the aorticorenal ganglion, receives the

lesser splanchnic nerve Thoracic splanchnic nerves are splanchnic nerves that arise from the sympathetic trunk in the thorax and travel inferiorly to provide sympathetic supply to the abdomen. The nerves contain preganglionic sympathetic fibers and general visceral affer ...

and gives off the greater part of the

renal plexus The renal plexus is a complex network of nerves formed by filaments from the celiac ganglia and plexus, aorticorenal ganglia, lower thoracic splanchnic nerves and first lumbar splanchnic nerve and aortic plexus. The nerves from these sources ...

Innervation

These ganglia contain neurons whose postganglionic axons innervate the stomach, liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidney, small intestine, and the ascending and transverse colon. They directly innervate the ovarian theca and secondary interstitial cells and exert an indirect action on the luteal cells.

Links to ovary

Modifications in the adrenergic activity of the celiac ganglion results in an altered capacity of the ovary of pregnant rats to produce progesterone, suggesting that the celiac ganglion-superior ovarian nerve-ovarian axis provides a direct link between the autonomic nervous system and the physiology of pregnancy. It has also been shown that modifications in the cholinergic input at the celiac ganglion also led, via the superior ovarian nerve, to modifications in ovarian

steroidogenesis A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and ...

. Most of the fibers of the superior ovarian nerve come from the postganglionic sympathetic neurons of the celiac ganglion.

Additional images

Image:Gray839.png, Diagram of efferent sympathetic nervous system. Image:Gray847.png, Abdominal portion of the sympathetic trunk, with the celiac and hypogastric plexuses. Image:Gray849.png, Lower half of right sympathetic cord.

References

External links

* - "Posterior Abdominal Wall: The Celiac Plexus" * * * {{Authority control Autonomic ganglia