Salivary Glands

 

Salivary Glands / Duct gland/ Big gland

Salivary gland is duct gland produce saliva.  Salivary gland secrete saliva into oral cavity. It produces serous secretion,  mucus secretion or seromucous (mixed).

Types of Salivary Glands

Salivary glands has three pairs that differ in type of secretion -

1. Parotid glands or Stensen's duct

2. Submandibular gland or Wharton's duct or Submaxillary duct

3. Sublingual gland; Duct of rivinus

1. Parotid Glands

Parotid duct or Stensen duct is major duct of the parotid gland, drains saliva into the mouth area of upper cheeks. 

Location - Parotid gland is largest salivary gland located near the ear (each side of face in front of ear).

Length - length of parotid gland is 5 cm long.

Secretion - Parotid glands produce a type of saliva "serous secretion (more watery and thin)". This gland secrete water, salt and enzyme salivary amylase, this secretion is clear and watery. They donot secrete mucin protein.

2. Submandibular Glands

Submandibular glands located each side of the face under the angle of the lower jawbone. Wharton's duct opens into the floor of the mouth at the junction where the front of the tongue meets the mouth's floor (lingual frenulum).

Submandibular glands is mixed or compound gland, produce serous and mucus secretion called  seromucous, saliva from submandibular gland to sublingual papilla.

This gland secrete water, salts, salivary amylase and mucin. Secretion is thicker saliva than parotid gland contains less salivary amylase.

3. Sublingual Glands

Sublingual glands is smallest salivary gland.

Sublingual glands located floor of the mouth beneath the tongue. Duct of rivinus connects the sublingual gland to the floor of the mouth (under its mucous membrane). Sublingual glands are drained through 8-20 small ducts called the ducts of Rivinus.

Sublingual glands secrete mucus. It secrete water, salt and mucin. Secretion contains high in mucus and low in salivary amylase.

Sublingual duct drain through the sublingual caruncle. Sublingual caruncle is small papilla present on each side of the frenulum linguae.