Final answer:
Autonomic ganglia contain the cell bodies of motor neurons of the autonomic nervous system, which are responsible for visceral motor responses. They are characterized by multipolar neurons and are involved in the sympathetic and parasympathetic regulation of organ functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Autonomic ganglia contain the cell bodies of motor neurons. These ganglia are part of the autonomic nervous system, and they are not associated with sensory pathways or somatic afferent and efferent neurons. Instead, autonomic ganglia are involved in the relay of visceral motor responses. The autonomic nervous system is subdivided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic ganglia, such as the sympathetic chain ganglia, receive input from the lateral horn of the thoracic and upper lumbar spinal cord, while parasympathetic ganglia are associated with cranial nerves or are located near the organs they innervate. Neurons within these ganglia are typically multipolar in shape. After synapsing in the ganglia, axons from these ganglionic neurons (postganglionic fibers) project to various organs to regulate functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. Preganglionic fibers are the axons that extend from the spinal cord to the ganglia, and these fibers are typically myelinated. Conversely, postganglionic fibers that extend from the ganglia to the target organs are usually unmyelinated.