Which of the Following Descriptions of Collateral Ganglia is TRUE

Question

Which of the following descriptions of collateral ganglia is TRUE?
A) Collateral ganglia are part of the somatic nervous system, located where the motor neuron leaves the ventral horn.
B) Collateral ganglia are part of the somatosensory system, located off of the afferent neuron just prior to entering the spinal cord dorsal horn.
C) Collateral ganglia are located within a chain just outside the spinal cord and are the sites of communication between sympathetic preganglionic neurons and postganglionic neurons.
D) Collateral ganglia are located within the effector organs and are the sites of communication between parasympathetic preganglionic neurons and postganglionic neurons.
E) Collateral ganglia are in the sympathetic nervous system but distinct from the sympathetic chain, and they function as a site of communication between sympathetic preganglionic neurons and postganglionic neurons.

Accepted Answer

Collateral ganglia are indeed part of the sympathetic nervous system, but they are not located within the sympathetic chain ganglia. Instead, they are distinct structures where sympathetic preganglionic neurons synapse with postganglionic neurons, typically involved in innervating organs in the abdominal and pelvic regions.