Where are the sympathetic ganglia located?

• A. Near the brainstem
• B. In the spinal cord
• C. Close to the spinal cord
• D. In the limbs

Answer: (C)

Sympathetic ganglia sit close to the spinal cord along the vertebral column. The cell bodies of the sympathetic neurons are in the thoracic and upper lumbar spinal cord (the lateral horn), and their preganglionic fibers travel out and synapse in the paravertebral (sympathetic chain) ganglia that run on either side of the spine. From these ganglia, postganglionic fibers project to target organs. Because of this arrangement, the ganglia are located near the spinal cord, not in the brainstem, not within the spinal cord itself, and not in the limbs. Some fibers do bypass the chain to reach prevertebral ganglia in the abdomen, but those ganglia are still near major vessels near the spine. This makes “close to the spinal cord” the correct description.