The largest and highest group of prevertebral sympathetic ganglia, located on the superior part of the abdominal aorta, on either side of the origin of the coeliac artery; contains sympathetic neurons whose unmyelinated postganglionic axons innervate the stomach, liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidney, small intestine, and ascending and transverse colon. H
Synonym: ganglia coeliaca, semilunar ganglion, solar ganglia, Vieussens' ganglia, Willis' centrum nervosum.
(05 Mar 2000)