Ventrolateral view, left side

Ventrolateral view, left side

The sympathetic trunk runs along each side of the vertebral column.  It receives neurons from anterior rami of the spinal nerves via the sympathetic trunk ganglia.  It serves many organs from the head to the pelvis.  Because it receives nerves from the intervertebral foramina it is difficult to lift away from the body wall.  Please be gentile with this nerve or it will break (no cat terrorism!).  In a later lab we will see it in the neck where it runs with the vagus nerve (X) and that bundle is called the vagosympathetic trunk.