What is the purpose for nervous system ganglia? What does it do in the process and why is it necessary?

Question

It's easy to find what makes up ganglia, but not it's purpose.

Thanks folks!

Answer 1

The function of ganglia is more structural and organizational than anything. They provide a point of consolidation for many efferent and afferent signals processed through the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. For the most part, this allows the length for an efferent signal to be divided up between two or more neurons, reach out to a variety of tissues, and maintain a common point of exit/entry between the vertebrae.

In the case of the sympathetic ganglia, there is cross-talk between the ganglia located relatively close to the spinal cord. This allows rather coordinated sympathetic activation in times of stress. Contrast this with the parasympathetic ganglia, which generally lie closer to the organ in question. This sort of implies that, under parasympathetic control, organs may work autonomously (from each other), whereas under sympathetic control, the body needs to be working together.