The intermediate horn is associated with which division of the autonomic nervous system?

The intermediate horn is associated with which division of the autonomic nervous system?

• A. Sympathetic
• B. Parasympathetic
• C. Somatic
• D. Enteric

Answer: (A)

The intermediolateral (intermediate) horn houses the cell bodies of preganglionic sympathetic neurons, located in the thoracic and upper lumbar segments of the spinal cord. This is the pathway that starts the sympathetic division: the preganglionic fibers exit the spinal cord, synapse in sympathetic ganglia, and then postganglionic fibers reach target organs. In contrast, parasympathetic preganglionic neurons are located in brainstem nuclei and the sacral spinal cord, not in this thoracic-lumbar region; somatic motor neurons lie in the ventral horn with skeletal muscle targets, and the enteric system resides in the gut wall. So the intermediate horn is associated with the sympathetic division.

The intermediolateral (intermediate) horn houses the cell bodies of preganglionic sympathetic neurons, located in the thoracic and upper lumbar segments of the spinal cord. This is the pathway that starts the sympathetic division: the preganglionic fibers exit the spinal cord, synapse in sympathetic ganglia, and then postganglionic fibers reach target organs. In contrast, parasympathetic preganglionic neurons are located in brainstem nuclei and the sacral spinal cord, not in this thoracic-lumbar region; somatic motor neurons lie in the ventral horn with skeletal muscle targets, and the enteric system resides in the gut wall. So the intermediate horn is associated with the sympathetic division.