The splanchnic nerves are paired visceral nerves (nerves that contribute to the innervation of the internal organs), carrying fibers of the

autonomic nervous system The autonomic nervous system (ANS), formerly referred to as the vegetative nervous system, is a division of the peripheral nervous system that supplies viscera, internal organs, smooth muscle and glands. The autonomic nervous system is a control ...

( visceral efferent fibers) as well as

sensory fibers A sensory nerve, or afferent nerve, is a general anatomic term for a nerve which contains predominantly somatic afferent nerve fibers. Afferent nerve fibers in a sensory nerve carry sensory information toward the central nervous system (CNS) from ...

from the organs ( visceral afferent fibers). All carry sympathetic fibers except for the

pelvic splanchnic nerves Pelvic splanchnic nerves or nervi erigentes are splanchnic nerves that arise from sacral spinal nerves S2, S3, S4 to provide parasympathetic innervation to the organs of the pelvic cavity. Structure The pelvic splanchnic nerves arise from t ...

, which carry

parasympathetic The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of t ...

fibers.

Types

The term ''splanchnic nerves'' can refer to: * Cardiopulmonary nervesEssential Clinical Anatomy. K.L. Moore & A.M. Agur. Lippincott, 3 ed. 2007. Page 181 *

Thoracic splanchnic nerves 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 ...

(greater, lesser, and least) *

Lumbar splanchnic nerves The lumbar splanchnic nerves are splanchnic nerves that arise from the lumbar part of the sympathetic trunk and travel to an adjacent plexus near the aorta. They originate from L1 and L2. These nerves contain preganglionic sympathetic and general ...

Sacral splanchnic nerves Sacral splanchnic nerves are splanchnic nerves that connect the inferior hypogastric plexus to the sympathetic trunk in the pelvis. Structure The sacral sympathetic nerves arise from the sacral part of the sympathetic trunk, emerging anteriorly fr ...

Pelvic splanchnic nerves Pelvic splanchnic nerves or nervi erigentes are splanchnic nerves that arise from sacral spinal nerves S2, S3, S4 to provide parasympathetic innervation to the organs of the pelvic cavity. Structure The pelvic splanchnic nerves arise from t ...

References

{{Autonomic Autonomic nervous system