ganglion

American  

[gang-glee-uhn] / ˈgæŋ gli ən /

noun

ganglia, plural ganglions plural

1. Anatomy.

   1. a mass of nerve tissue existing outside the central nervous system.

   2. any of certain masses of gray matter in the brain, as the basal ganglia.

2. Pathology. a cyst or enlargement in connection with the sheath of a tendon, usually at the wrist.

3. a center of intellectual or industrial force, activity, etc.

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ganglion British  

/ ˈɡæŋɡlɪən /

noun

1. an encapsulated collection of nerve-cell bodies, usually located outside the brain and spinal cord

2. any concentration of energy, activity, or strength

3. a cystic tumour on a tendon sheath or joint capsule

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ganglion Scientific  

/ găng′glē-ən /

ganglia plural

1. A compact group of neurons enclosed by connective tissue and having a specific function. In invertebrate animals, pairs of ganglia occur at intervals along the axis of the body, with the forwardmost pair functioning like a brain. In vertebrates, ganglia are usually located outside the brain or spinal cord, where they regulate the functioning of the body's organs and glands as part of the autonomic nervous system.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gangliar
  adjective
• ganglial
  adjective
• ganglionic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• ganglia
  plural
• ganglions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ganglion

1675–85; < Late Latin: a type of swelling < Greek gánglion a tumor under the skin, on or near a tendon

Explanation

In medicine, a ganglion is a cluster of nerve cells. Although it's not related to nerve cells, a harmless but visible lump on the skin is known as a ganglion cyst. It's not uncommon for people to get benign but annoying ganglion cysts on their hands as they age. This use of ganglion goes back to the Greek root meaning "knot, swelling under the skin, or tumor." Ganglion came to mean "nerve cells" in medical terminology by the 17th century (although the cyst meaning also stuck around). Humans have many ganglia in their bodies, including the clusters around our spinal nerves and the basal ganglia in our brains.

Example Sentences

The researchers then focused on the trigeminal ganglion, which contains the cell bodies of facial sensory neurons.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2026

In humans, the main effect of light on the internal clock and sleep is probably mediated via the light-sensitive ganglion cells.

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2023

In addition, the axons of retinal ganglion cells secrete molecular factors that are received by cells in the central brain and induce developmental changes.

From Science Daily • Sep. 28, 2023

It found people with Parkinson's had a thinner ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer and inner nuclear layer in the eye.

From BBC • Aug. 22, 2023

He is more like a ganglion on legs.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• command post
• focal point
• headquarters
• hotbed