The sympathetic nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the body’s “fight or flight” responses. A fundamental component of this system are the sympathetic preganglionic neurons, which send signals from the central nervous system to the sympathetic ganglia, coordinating autonomic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and pupil dilation.

Location of Sympathetic Preganglionic Neuron Cell Bodies

The cell bodies of sympathetic preganglionic neurons are exclusively located in the intermediolateral cell column of the spinal cord, also known as the lateral horn. This specialized area is found in the gray matter of spinal cord segments spanning T1 to L2 or L3 (thoracic to upper lumbar levels). Because of this thoracolumbar distribution, the sympathetic nervous system is often called the thoracolumbar division.

The intermediolateral cell column contains the somas of these neurons. From here, their axons, known as preganglionic fibers, exit the spinal cord through the anterior roots. They then travel to the sympathetic ganglia, which are located either alongside the vertebral column (paravertebral ganglia) or farther away (prevertebral ganglia), where they synapse with postganglionic neurons.kenhub+3

Other Locations Explained

• The posterior cell column of the spinal cord does not house sympathetic preganglionic neuron cell bodies; it mainly contains sensory pathways.

• The celiac ganglion and the paravertebral ganglion are collections of postganglionic neuron cell bodies, not preganglionic ones. Preganglionic neurons project to these ganglia but their cell bodies remain in the spinal cord.ncbi.nlm.nih+1

Summary

To answer the question directly:

The cell bodies of sympathetic preganglionic neurons are located in the intermediolateral cell column of the spinal cord (1).