Final answer:
The dorsal root ganglion is a collection of cell bodies of the sensory neurons that are part of the somatic nervous system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dorsal root ganglion is a collection of neuron cell bodies situated in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). These ganglia serve as the cell bodies for sensory neurons with axons that provide sensory information from the periphery, such as the skin, into the central nervous system (CNS) through the dorsal nerve root. Under microscopic examination, the dorsal root ganglion reveals the unipolar sensory neurons and their surrounding satellite cells. The sensory neurons' cell bodies reside within the dorsal root ganglion, and their axons form the posterior nerve root, which transmits sensory signals to the spinal cord.
Referring to the options provided in the question, the dorsal root ganglion can be accurately described as: 1) A collection of cell bodies of the sensory neurons that are part of the somatic nervous system.