Term of the Day

Rami Communicantes: Short nerve fibers that connect an intercostal nerve to the sympathetic trunk. The white ramus communicans travels from the nerve to the sympathetic ganglion, and the gray ramus communicans travels from the ganglion to the intercostal nerve.

Term of the Day

Splanchnic Nerve: A preganglionic autonomic nerve of the abdominopelvic viscera. Preganglionic, sympathetic fibers that pass through the paravertebral (sympathetic chain) ganglia without synapsing form splanchnic nerves. Instead, they synapse in a prevertebral (visceral) ganglion such as the celiac ganglion, the superior mesenteric ganglion, or the inferior mesenteric ganglion (e.g. thoracic -- greater, lesser, least -- splanchnic nn, lumbar splanchnic nn, and sacral splanchnic nn). Pelvic splanchnic nerves are parasympathetic and formed by branches of the ventral rami of S2, S3, and S4. Their ganglia are at or near the target organ.

P.S. Have a very Happy New Year!