Which cranial nerves are listed as the sympathetic cranial nerves?

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

Answer: (D)

Think of the cranial nerves that carry autonomic (parasympathetic) signals. Four brainstem nerves contain these parasympathetic fibers: oculomotor, facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus. They originate in the brainstem and connect to autonomic ganglia near their target organs—ciliary ganglion for pupil constriction via the oculomotor nerve; pterygopalatine and submandibular ganglia for lacrimal and salivary glands via the facial nerve; otic ganglion for the parotid gland via the glossopharyngeal nerve; and the vagus nerve carrying parasympathetic fibers to most thoracic and abdominal organs.

There isn’t a separate “sympathetic cranial nerve” bundle—the sympathetic supply to the head comes from the spinal cord (T1–T2) and travels through the internal carotid plexus from the superior cervical ganglion to reach structures like the dilator pupillae and sweat glands. So the nerves listed (oculomotor, facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus) are the ones that carry parasympathetic fibers, not sympathetic.