General and Special Visceral Afferent Nuclei

The general visceral afferent fibres carry general sensations (sense of distention and ischaemia) from the viscera (lung, heart and upper part of GIT) and associated glands to the GVA column.

The SVA (branchial) fibres carry special sensation of taste from tongue, etc. to the nuclei of special visceral afferent column (this is because the epithelium of tongue including taste buds develop from endoderm (visceral).

GVA & SVA nuclei are represented by only one nucleus, the nucleus of solitary tract.