Inferior Ganglion of Glossopharyngeal Nerve (Left)
Ganglion inferius nervi glossopharyngei
Read moreQuick Facts
Location: Jugular foramen near the inferior opening.
Branches: The glossopharyngeal nerve, as well as its tympanic and carotid branches.
Supply: Location of special and general visceral afferent neuronal cell bodies.
Related parts of the anatomy
Location
The inferior ganglion of the glossopharyngeal nerve sits in the lower portion of the jugular foramen, just before the lower opening at the base of the skull.
The inferior ganglion of glossopharyngeal nerve is derived from epibranchial placode cells. These cells become sensory afferent neurons (Barlow, 2002).
Branches
The glossopharyngeal nerve runs into and out of the inferior ganglion. Typically, the tympanic nerve and the carotid branch of glossopharyngeal nerve will branch off at the level of the inferior ganglion.
Supplied Structures
All fibers of the glossopharyngeal nerve either originate in or pass through the inferior ganglion.
The cell bodies of the general and special visceral afferent fibers are located in the inferior ganglion. The general visceral afferent fibers carry information from the mucosal lining of the tympanic cavity, pharyngotympanic tube, oropharynx, carotid body, and carotid sinus. Special visceral afferent fibers carrying taste sensation from the posterior one third of the tongue.
References
Barlow, L. A. (2002) Cranial Nerve Development: Placodal Neurons Ride the Crest. Current Biology, 12(5), R171-R173.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Glossopharyngeal Nerve
The glossopharyngeal nerve (GN) is a mixed nerve containing sensory, motor, and autonomic fibers.
