The chorda tympani provides parasympathetic innervation to which glands?

• A. Submandibular and sublingual glands
• B. Parotid gland
• C. Lacrimal gland
• D. Otic gland

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that the chorda tympani carries preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that connect to the submandibular ganglion. From there, postganglionic fibers reach the submandibular and sublingual glands to stimulate saliva. The chorda tympani also carries taste fibers from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, traveling with the lingual nerve on its way to the submandibular ganglion.

Glands outside this pathway use different routes: the parotid gland receives parasympathetic input from the glossopharyngeal nerve via the lesser petrosal nerve to the otic ganglion, with postganglionic fibers hitchhiking on the auriculotemporal nerve to the parotid. The lacrimal gland gets parasympathetic innervation via the greater petrosal nerve to the pterygopalatine ganglion, then fibers travel with branches of the maxillary, zygomatic, and lacrimal nerves. The term “otic gland” isn’t a structure; the otic ganglion is involved in parotid innervation.

So the glands supplied by the chorda tympani are the submandibular and sublingual glands.