Ganglions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cluster of nerve cell bodies located outside the central nervous system, acting as relay points within the nervous system
2. Groups of neuron cell bodies functioning together to transmit sensory and motor information in various organisms
3. Collections of nerve tissues that serve as processing hubs for signals within the peripheral nervous system

Etymology: "Ganglions" is simply the plural of "ganglion," so the origin of the singular is what matters here. "Ganglion" came into English in the early 1600s, borrowed from the Greek "gagglion," meaning a swelling or a tumour under the skin. The word first described a lump on the body, such as a cyst, before it was applied to the clusters of nerve tissue that were identified much later. The Greek word is generally traced to a root linked to a knot or lump, and the Latin plural form "ganglia" was carried over into English alongside the anglicised plural "ganglions." Both are in use today, though "ganglia" is the more traditional choice in medical writing.