Meissner's plexus

Submucous plexus
The plexus of the submucosa from the rabbit. X 50.
Details
Identifiers
Latin	Plexus nervosus submucosus, plexus submucosus, plexus Meissneri
MeSH	A08.800.050.050.850
Dorlands /Elsevier	p_24/12648478
TA	A14.3.03.042
FMA	63252
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy []

The submucous 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 submucous plexus. Ganglia from the plexus extend into the muscularis mucosae and to the mucous membrane.

They contain Dogiel cells. The nerve bundles of the submucous 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.

German Georg Meissner was one of the first to further research the nervous system and found Meissners' plexus.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)