ganglion

noun

gan·​gli·​on ˈgaŋ-glē-ən 

plural ganglia ˈgaŋ-glē-ə  also ganglions

1

: a small cystic tumor connected either with a joint membrane or tendon sheath

2

a

: a mass of nerve tissue containing cell bodies of neurons external to the brain or spinal cord

also : nucleus sense 2b

b

: something likened to a nerve ganglion

a ganglion of cables and wires

ganglionated

ˈgaŋ-glē-ə-ˌnā-təd 

adjective

ganglionic

ˌgaŋ-glē-ˈä-nik 

adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The photoreceptors then send an electrical signal to their neighbors, called ganglion cells, which can identify important features like motion. —BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2021

But in 2002, Samer Hattar of Johns Hopkins University and David Berson of Brown University identified individual retinal ganglion cells containing melanopsin. —Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2012

The most avid advocates for the stellate ganglion block are Liu’s patients. —Julia O'malley, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Dec. 2022

In the ’80s, Czeisler discovered that specialized ganglion cells in the retina are finely tuned to tell the brain to cut melatonin production when they are hit by a short wavelength (around 480 nanometers) — precisely that of morning light. —Lisa Marshall, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016

All at Once feels like its own special entity, and for those susceptible to its vast charms, you’ll be reduced to a teary ganglion of googly eyes. —Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 14 Dec. 2022

But there is a third type, too, known as intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, and these are not affected in color-blind people. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 27 Oct. 2022

Bypassing damaged photoreceptors, the electrodes directly stimulate surviving neurons—either bipolar or ganglion cells—that feed into the brain’s visual cortex, imparting an artificial version of sight to patients. —Connie Chang Chinchio, Popular Mechanics, 25 Aug. 2022

And the retina’s exact output to the brain—the spatiotemporal patterns of electrical pulses generated by the ganglion cells—is unknown. —Connie Chang Chinchio, Popular Mechanics, 25 Aug. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, borrowed from Greek ganglíon "tumor on a tendon, mass of nerve tissue (thought to resemble such tumors)," of obscure origin

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ganglion

• dorsal root ganglion
• spinal ganglion
• basal ganglion

• dorsal root ganglion
• spinal ganglion
• basal ganglion

Kids Definition

ganglion

noun

gan·​gli·​on ˈgaŋ-glē-ən 

plural ganglia -glē-ə  also ganglions

: a mass of nerve tissue lying outside the brain or spinal cord and containing neurons

also : nucleus sense c

ganglionic

ˌgaŋ-glē-ˈän-ik 

adjective

Medical Definition

ganglion

noun

gan·​gli·​on ˈgaŋ-glē-ən 

plural ganglia -glē-ə  also ganglions

1

: a small cystic tumor (as on the back of the wrist) containing viscid fluid and connected either with a joint membrane or tendon sheath

2

a

: a mass of nerve tissue containing cell bodies of neurons that is located outside the central nervous system and forms an enlargement upon a nerve or upon two or more nerves at their point of junction or separation

b

: a mass of gray matter within the brain or spinal cord : nucleus sense 2 see basal ganglion