In an Instrument Landing System, which component provides vertical guidance to the runway?

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Vertical guidance in an Instrument Landing System is provided by the glide slope. It defines a precise descent path toward the runway, typically around a 3-degree angle, that the aircraft should follow as it approaches. The glide slope transmitter sends signals that the cockpit receiver decodes to give you a vertical deviation indication—if you’re above the path, the cue tells you to descend; if you’re below, it tells you to raise your nose to rejoin the path. This vertical information works together with the localizer, which provides horizontal guidance along the runway centerline. Marker beacons offer distance cues at specific points on the approach, and the approach lighting system gives visual cues to help with alignment and descent as you transition from instrument cues to visual cues. So, the glide slope is the element that delivers the vertical guidance needed to land.