The inferior cervical ganglion is one of the three cervical sympathetic ganglia (i.e. of the cervical portion of the sympathetic trunk). It is situated between the base of the transverse process of the last cervical vertebra and the neck of the first rib, on the medial side of the costocervical artery.
It is often united with the first (and sometimes the second) thoracic ganglion to form the cervicothoracic ganglion (stellate ganglion).
The esophagus (American English), oesophagus (British English), or œsophagus (archaic spelling) (see spelling difference) all /iːˈsɒfəɡəs, ɪ-/ ; pl.: ((o)e)(œ)sophagi or ((o)e)(œ)sophaguses), colloquially known also as the food pipe, food tube, or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to the stomach. The esophagus is a fibromuscular tube, about 25 cm (10 in) long in adult humans, that travels behind the trachea and heart, passes through the diaphragm, and empties into the uppermost region of the stomach. During swallowing, the epiglottis tilts backwards to prevent food from going down the larynx and lungs. The word esophagus is from Ancient Greek οἰσοφάγος (oisophágos), from οἴσω (oísō), future form of φέρω (phérō, "I carry") + ἔφαγον (éphagon, "I ate").
The wall of the esophagus from the lumen outwards consists of mucosa, submucosa (connective tissue), layers of muscle fibers between layers of fibrous tissue, and an outer layer of connective tissue. The mucosa is a stratified squamous epithelium of around three layers of squamous cells, which contrasts to the single layer of columnar cells of the stomach. The transition between these two types of epithelium is visible as a zig-zag line. Most of the muscle is smooth muscle although striated muscle predominates in its upper third. It has two muscular rings or sphincters in its wall, one at the top and one at the bottom. The lower sphincter helps to prevent reflux of acidic stomach content. The esophagus has a rich blood supply and venous drainage. Its smooth muscle is innervated by involuntary nerves (sympathetic nerves via the sympathetic trunk and parasympathetic nerves via the vagus nerve) and in addition voluntary nerves (lower motor neurons) which are carried in the vagus nerve to innervate its striated muscle.
Prevertebral ganglia (or collateral ganglia, or preaortic ganglia) are sympathetic ganglia situated along the midline, anterior to the aorta and the vertebral column. The prevertebral ganglia are the celiac ganglia (including the aorticorenal ganglia), the superior mesenteric ganglion, and the inferior mesenteric ganglion.
The paravertebral ganglia, meanwhile, are the segmental ganglia of each the sympathetic trunk situated along either side of the midline.