Which set lists the cranial nerves that innervate the parasympathetic nervous system?

Which set lists the cranial nerves that innervate the parasympathetic nervous system?

• A. II, III, IV, V
• B. I, II, III, VII
• C. IV, IX, X, XII
• D. III, VII, IX, X

Answer: (D)

Parasympathetic innervation from the cranial nerves comes from four specific nerves: oculomotor (III), facial (VII), glossopharyngeal (IX), and vagus (X). These carry preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that synapse in ganglia near or within their target organs, producing actions such as pupil constriction and lens accommodation (III), tear and salivary gland secretion (VII), parotid secretion (IX), and widespread autonomic control of the heart, lungs, and much of the gut (X). The other cranial nerves listed are not primarily parasympathetic: they’re mainly sensory or motor for non-autonomic functions. So the set that includes exactly III, VII, IX, and X is the one that lists all cranial nerves with parasympathetic innervation.

Parasympathetic innervation from the cranial nerves comes from four specific nerves: oculomotor (III), facial (VII), glossopharyngeal (IX), and vagus (X). These carry preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that synapse in ganglia near or within their target organs, producing actions such as pupil constriction and lens accommodation (III), tear and salivary gland secretion (VII), parotid secretion (IX), and widespread autonomic control of the heart, lungs, and much of the gut (X). The other cranial nerves listed are not primarily parasympathetic: they’re mainly sensory or motor for non-autonomic functions. So the set that includes exactly III, VII, IX, and X is the one that lists all cranial nerves with parasympathetic innervation.