The sphenopalatine ganglion is a parasympathetic ganglion found in the spheno-maxillary fossa. It supplies the gums, the mucous membrane and glands of the hard palate, and communicates anteriorly with the naso-palatine nerve. Anatomy and Physiology of the A.N.S. In contrast to the voluntary nervous system, the involuntary or autonomic nervous system is responsible for homeostasis, maintaining a relatively constant internal environment by controlling such involuntary functions as digestion, respiration, and metabolism, and by modulating blood pressure. ... In vertebrate anatomy, a ganglion is a tissue mass that contains the dendrites and cell bodies (or somas) of nerve cells, in most case ones belonging to the peripheral nervous system. ... Fossa has several meanings. ... A number of different things are called gum: gums the soft tissue partly covering teeth Chewing gum Bubblegum Guar gum Gum arabic Postage stamp gum Gum Springs, Arkansas, a town Trees: Gum tree (Eucalyptus; Australia and cultivated in other warm areas) Black gum (Tupelo, Nyssa; eastern North America) Sweet-gum... A gland is an organ in an animals body that synthesizes a substance for release such as hormones, often into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland). ... The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth. ...