White rami communicantes

Definition

White rami communicantes are myelinated nerve fibers that connect the spinal nerves to the sympathetic chain ganglia in the autonomic nervous system. They primarily carry preganglionic sympathetic signals from the spinal cord to the ganglia.

Related terms

Sympathetic Chain Ganglia:

Clusters of neuronal cell bodies located alongside the vertebral column that relay autonomic signals within the sympathetic nervous system.

Preganglionic Neurons:

Neurons that transmit signals from the central nervous system to a ganglion in the autonomic nervous system.

Myelination: The process of forming a myelin sheath around a nerve to increase signal transmission speed and efficiency