Dorsal root ganglia contain cell bodies of which neurons?

• A. Motor neurons
• B. Sensory neurons
• C. Interneurons
• D. Autonomic neurons

Answer: (B)

Dorsal root ganglia house the cell bodies of sensory neurons. These neurons are the primary afferents that carry information from receptors in the skin, muscles, and organs into the spinal cord. A key feature is that many sensory neurons are pseudo-unipolar, with a single process that splits into a peripheral branch reaching the receptor and a central branch entering the spinal cord, while the cell body sits in the ganglion. Motor neurons, in contrast, have their cell bodies in the ventral horn of the spinal cord (or in brainstem nuclei) and project to muscles via the ventral roots. Interneurons reside entirely within the CNS, connecting neurons in the spinal cord or brain. Autonomic neurons involve preganglionic neurons in the CNS and postganglionic neurons in autonomic ganglia, not in the dorsal root ganglia.