< /ˈgæŋ gli ə/, gan·gli·ons.
- Anatomy.
- a mass of nerve tissue existing outside the central nervous system.
- any of certain masses of gray matter in the brain, as the basal ganglia.
- Pathology. a cyst or enlargement in connection with the sheath of a tendon, usually at the wrist.
- a center of intellectual or industrial force, activity, etc.
noun plural -glia (-ɡlɪə) or -glions
- an encapsulated collection of nerve-cell bodies, usually located outside the brain and spinal cord
- any concentration of energy, activity, or strength
- a cystic tumour on a tendon sheath or joint capsule
1680s, from Greek ganglion “tumor,” used by Galen for “nerve bundle.” Of unknown origin; according to Galen, the proper sense of the word was “anything gathered into a ball.”
n. pl. gan•gli•ons
- A group of nerve cells forming a nerve center, especially one located outside the brain or spinal cord.neuroganglion
- A benign tumorlike cyst containing mucopolysaccharide-rich fluid enclosed within fibrous tissue and usually attached to a tendon sheath in the hand, wrist, or foot.myxoid cyst synovial cyst
Plural ganglia
- 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.