What Cranial Nerves Make Up the Parasympathetic System?
The cranial nerves are 12 pairs of nerves that connect directly to the brain, unlike most other nerves which connect to the spinal cord. The nerves going out to the body may be voluntary, such as those controlling skeletal muscles, or they may be involuntary, or autonomic. The autonomic nervous system is composed of a sympathetic system responsible “fight and flight” types of activities, and a parasympathetic nervous system responsible for “rest and digest” activities.
