superior cervical ganglion

The superior cervical ganglion is part of the sympathetic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions. It is one of three cervical sympathetic ganglia and is located on each side of the vertebrae, forming part of the sympathetic chain. This ganglion innervates the viscera of the head. The sympathetic nervous system, along with the parasympathetic nervous system, makes up the autonomic nervous system, which operates independently of voluntary control to maintain homeostasis. Sympathetic ganglia are collections of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous system that are part of the motor outflow of the sympathetic nervous system.12