Spinal ganglion

Spinal Ganglion

A Spinal Ganglion (also known as a dorsal root ganglion) is a cluster of neuron cell bodies (a ganglion) in a spinal nerve. The spinal ganglion contains the cell bodies of sensory neurons that bring information from the periphery to the spinal cord.

Structure

The spinal ganglion is located in the intervertebral foramen (opening) at each spinal segment. Each ganglion contains the cell bodies of afferent nerves—those responsible for carrying information from the periphery to the spinal cord. These cell bodies are of unipolar neurons, meaning they have only one process that extends from the cell body. This single process splits into two branches: a peripheral branch that receives sensory information from a specific region of the body, and a central branch that carries this information into the spinal cord.

Function

The primary function of the spinal ganglion is to transmit sensory information from the periphery to the spinal cord. This information includes touch, temperature, pain, and proprioceptive signals. The cell bodies in the ganglion are responsible for the initial processing of this sensory information.

Clinical significance

Damage or disease affecting the spinal ganglion can lead to a range of sensory disorders. For example, shingles is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which lies dormant in the spinal ganglia. Other conditions, such as neuropathic pain and postherpetic neuralgia, can also arise from problems with the spinal ganglia.

See also

• Nervous system
• Sensory neuron
• Spinal cord