In: Anatomy and Physiology
Definition
Ganglia: Ganglia refer to the structures that contain a number of cell bodies of the peripheral nervous system.
Nuclei: Nuclei refer to the structures that contain a number of cell bodies of the central nervous system.
Occur in
Ganglia: Ganglia occur in the PNS.
Nuclei: Nuclei occur in the CNS.
Significance
Ganglia: Ganglia form the plexuses.
Nuclei: Nuclei occur in the gray matter of the brain.
Examples
Ganglia: Dorsal root ganglia, autonomic ganglia, and cranial nerve ganglia are the examples of ganglia.
Nuclei: Caudate, putamen, dentate, emboliform, pallidum, substantia nigra, and subthalamic nuclei are examples of nuclei.
Conclusion
Ganglia and nuclei are clusters of nerve cell bodies. Ganglia are cell bodies of the sensory neurons in the PNS. They are arranged in the both sides of the spinal cord. Nuclei are the clusters of cell bodies of the nerve cells in the CNS. The cell bodies of both motor neurons and the sensory neurons form nuclei. The main difference between ganglia and nuclei is the type of cell bodies present in each type of clusters.