Clusters of nerve cell bodies located outside the central nervous system that serve as relay stations for nerve signals. In invertebrates, ganglia often function as simple brains or local control centers for specific body regions.
From Greek 'ganglion' originally meaning 'knot' or 'swelling,' first applied to nerve clusters in the 18th century. The anatomical use developed as early anatomists noticed these knot-like swellings along nerve pathways in dissected specimens.
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