Final answer:
No, the sympathetic division does not have numerous ganglionic neurons in the gray matter of the spinal cord; they are located in the sympathetic chains alongside the spinal cord.
Step-by-step explanation:
In contrast to the parasympathetic division, the sympathetic division indeed has numerous ganglionic neurons that are located in the sympathetic chains alongside the spinal cord, rather than in the gray matter of the spinal cord itself. The question about whether the sympathetic division has numerous ganglionic neurons in the gray matter of the spinal cord might be met with confusion because it is the preganglionic neurons that originate in the spinal cord and then synapse with postganglionic neurons in the sympathetic chain ganglia. Therefore, the answer to the student's question is No, the sympathetic division does not have numerous ganglionic neurons in the gray matter of the spinal cord.
The sympathetic nervous system extends from the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord, wherein preganglionic neurons synapse with postganglionic neurons in the sympathetic chains. The axons of these preganglionic neurons release acetylcholine to activate the postganglionic neurons within the sympathetic ganglia. Sympathetic ganglia form a chain that extends alongside the spinal cord, not within the gray matter of the spinal cord.