Nerve: Submandibular ganglion
Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. (Submandibular ganglion visible at bottom left, but not labeled.)
Parasympathetic connections of the submaxillary and superior cervical ganglia. (Submaxillary ganglion labeled at center right.)
Latin	ganglion submandibulare
Gray's	subject #200 898
Innervates	submandibular gland, sublingual gland
Dorlands / Elsevier	g_02/12385004

The submandibular ganglion (or submaxillary ganglion in older texts) is part of the human autonomic nervous system. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck. (The others are the otic ganglion, pterygopalatine ganglion, and ciliary ganglion).

Function

The submandibular ganglion is responsible for innervation of two salivary glands: the submandibular gland and sublingual gland.

Location and relations

The submandibular ganglion is small and fusiform in shape. It is situated above the deep portion of the submandibular gland, on the hyoglossus muscle, near the posterior border of the mylohyoid muscle.

The ganglion 'hangs' by two nerve filaments from the lower border of the lingual nerve (itself a branch of the mandibular nerve, CN V₃). It is suspended from the lingual nerve by two filaments, one anterior and one posterior. Through the posterior of these it receives a branch from the chorda tympani nerve which runs in the sheath of the lingual nerve.

Fibers

Like other parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck, the submandibular ganglion is the site of synapse for parasympathetic fibers and carries other types of nerve fiber that do not synapse in the ganglion. In summary, the fibers carried in the ganglion are:

• Sympathetic fibers from the external carotid plexus, via the facial artery and its branches. These do not synapse in this ganglion.
• Preganglionic parasympathetic fibers from the superior salivatory nucleus of the medulla oblongata, via the chorda tympani and lingual nerve, which synapse at the origin of:
• Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers to the oral mucosa and the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands.

Additional images

Mandibular division of trifacial nerve, seen from the middle line.

Diagram of efferent sympathetic nervous system.

External links

• SUNY Figs 27:03-10
• Norman/Georgetown cranialnerves (V, VII)
• Anatomy at UMich head_autonomics_module/autonomics_09
• Submandibular+ganglion at eMedicine Dictionary

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