submucosal plexus

{{Short description|Part of the enteric nervous system}}

{{Infobox nerve

| Name = Submucosal plexus

| Latin = plexus nervosus submucosus, plexus submucosus,
plexus Meissneri

| Image = Gray1072.png

| Caption = The plexus of the submucosa from the rabbit. X 50.

| Image2 = GI Organization.svg

| Caption2 =

| Innervates =

| BranchFrom =

| BranchTo =

}}

{{Gastrointestinal wall series}}

The submucosal plexus (Meissner's plexus, plexus of the submucosa, plexus submucosus) lies in the submucosa of the intestinal wall. The nerves of this plexus are derived from the myenteric plexus which itself is derived from the plexuses of parasympathetic nerves around the superior mesenteric artery. Branches from the myenteric plexus perforate the circular muscle fibers to form the submucosal plexus. Ganglia from the plexus extend into the muscularis mucosae and also extend into the mucous membrane.

They contain Dogiel cells.{{cite journal |last1=Stach |first1=W |title=Die differenzierte Gefäßversorgung der dogielschen Zelltypen und die bevorzugte Vaskularisation der Typ I/2-Zellen in den Ganglien des Plexus myentericus (Auerbach) des Schweins |trans-title=Differentiated vascularization of Dogiel's cell types and the preferred vascularization of type I/2 cells within plexus myentericus (Auerbach) ganglia of the pig |journal=Anatomischer Anzeiger |date=1979 |volume=145 |issue=5 |pages=464–73 |pmid=507375 |language=de }} The nerve bundles of the submucosal plexus are finer than those of the myenteric plexus. Its function is to innervate cells in the epithelial layer and the smooth muscle of the muscularis mucosae.

14% of submucosal plexus neurons are sensory neurons – Dogiel type II, also known as enteric primary afferent neurons or intrinsic primary afferent neurons.{{cite journal |doi=10.1136/gut.47.suppl_4.iv15 |pmid=11076898 |pmc=1766806 |title=Anatomy and physiology of the enteric nervous system |journal=Gut |volume=47 |issue=90004 |pages=iv15–9; discussion iv26 |year=2000 |last1=Costa |first1=M }}