salivary glands

Question 1

Saliva is involved to some degree in all of the

following functions:

Answer 1

  Speech 
  Mastication 
  Taste  
  Swallowing 
  Digestion

Question 2

saliva in digestion

Answer 2

salivary amylase

Question 3

saliva and taste

Answer 3

gustin: protein thought to be necessary for growth and maturation of taste buds.

Question 4

saliva function in protection

Answer 4

 Lubrication protects lining mucosa from noxious stimuli,
bacterial toxins, and minor trauma
 Washing action to rid mouth of non-adherent bacteria
 Clearance of sugars from mouth

Question 5

saliva buffering function
prevents?
buffers?
protein component?

Answer 5

 Prevents potential pathogenic bacteria from colonizing the
mouth (most require an acidic pH)
 Buffering of microbial acids (bicarbonate & phosphate ions)
 Sialin: a protein that raises pH of dental plaque after exposure
to fermentable carbohydrates

Question 6

saliva antimicrobial function/components

Answer 6

 Lysozyme: hydrolyzes bacterial cell walls
 Lactoferrin: binds free iron and thereby deprives bacteria of an essential nutrient
 Salivary IgA: causes bacterial clumping (agglutination)

Question 7

saliva function in tooth integrity

Answer 7

 Calcium and phosphate ions facilitate mineralization of

tooth surface

Question 8

saliva and soft tissue repair

Answer 8

 Epithelial growth factor

 Clotting factor

Question 9

development of the salivary glands
dictated by?
form?

Answer 9

Ectomesenchymal cells dictate differentiation of oral epithelium which, in turn, proliferates and grows into the underlying mesenchyme.

The epithelial buds undergo histodifferentiation and morphodifferentiation to form assemblies of:
 Alveoli that develop into acinar cells
 Epithelial cords that develop into ducts

Question 10

stages of salivary gland development in order, important GFs

Answer 10

 Induction of oral epithelium by underlying ectomesenchyme
 Growth of the epithelial cord
 Initiation of epithelial cord branching
 Repetitive branching and lobule formation
 Canalization of the presumptive ducts
 Cytodifferentiation to become acinar cells, myoepithelial cells,
and ductal cells
• FGF (fibroblast growth factor)
• EGF (epidermal growth factor)

Question 11

developmental “equation” of salivary glands

Answer 11

see attatched

Question 12

when do the major salivary glands develop

Answer 12

The parotid and submandibular glands begin to form during the
6th week of embryonic development with the sublingual gland
initiating development during the 8th week.

Question 13

when do minor salivary glands develop

Answer 13

The minor salivary glands begin to form by the 10th week of

embryonic development.

Question 14

Hierarchy of ducts starting at the level of the secreting unit (acinus):

Answer 14

  Intercellular canaliculus 
  Intercalated duct 
  Striated duct 
  Excretory duct  
   (a.k.a. collecting duct) 
  Terminal excretory duct

Question 15

intercellular caniculi

Answer 15

between acinar cells

possess villi for resorbtion of water

Question 16

intercalated ducts

Answer 16

no villi

lined with cuboidal cells

Question 17

striated ducts

Answer 17

microvilli for electrolyte resorption and secretion

EGF secreted here

Question 18

Myoepithelial Cells (a.k.a. Basket Cells):

Answer 18

Associated with terminal end pieces (acini) and intercalated ducts.
contractile cells

Question 19

major salivary duct formal names

Answer 19

Parotid Gland – Stenson’s Duct
Submandibular Gland – Wharton’s Duct
Sublingual Gland – Bartholin’s Duct

Question 20

parotid gland secretions, % salivary flow, enlargement occurs with?

Answer 20

 Pure serous secreting gland
 Responsible for 20% of unstimulated salivary flow
 Salivary gland enlargement occurs in parotitis (mumps), Sjögrens syndrome, bulimia, anorexia, benign/malignant neoplasia.

Question 21

subman gland secretion, % and frequent structure?

Answer 21

 Mixed seromucous gland (i.e., predominately serous
with mucous contributions)
 Responsible for 60% of unstimulated salivary flow.
 Serous demilunes

Question 22

sublingual gland secretion, % and frequent structure?

Answer 22

 Mixed mucoserous gland (i.e., predominately mucous secreting)
 Responsible for 10% of unstimulated salivary flow
 Serous demilunes

Question 23

minor salivary glands

Answer 23

 Minor salivary glands account for 10% of unstimulated
salivary flow
 Most minor salivary glands are mucous secreting

Question 24

 Named minor salivary glands are:

Answer 24

von Ebner’s
Blandin-Nuhn
Weber’s
Carmalt’s

Question 25

von ebners

Answer 25

Pure serous glands associated

with the circumvallate papillae of the tongue.

Question 26

Blandin-Nuhn

•

Answer 26

Mucoserous glands located on ventral surface at tip of tongue
•

Question 27

Weber’s

Answer 27

Mucous glands associated with the pharyngeal tonsil

Question 28

Carmalt’s

Answer 28

Mucous glands found in the mandibular retromolar area

Question 29

Classification of Glands, definitions

Answer 29

• Endocrine – product secreted into blood and affects other cells;
no duct system
• Exocrine – secrete product onto a surface; usually has a duct
• Merocrine – little/no damage to secreting cells (salivary glands)
• Apocrine – partial injury to secreting cells (mammary/sweat
glands)
• Holocrine – total destruction of secreting cells (sebaceous
glands)

Question 30

fordyce granules

Answer 30

Not a pathologic lesion
• Represent ectopic sebaceous
glands

Question 31

nicotine somatitis

Answer 31

inflammed minor salivary glands on the palate due to excessive heat

Question 32

Salivary Gland Mucocele
common places
characterized by?

Answer 32

 The result of trauma that severs the duct resulting in extravasation of mucin into the surrounding soft tissues
 Most common site of occurrence are the lips, tip of the ventral surface of the tongue and soft palate
 Characterized by a accumulation of mucin containing numerous foamy histiocytes surrounded by granulation tissue

Question 33

Ranula

Answer 33

A term used to designate a mucocele that occurs on the floor of the mouth. Ranulas most often involve the sublingual salivary gland.

Question 34

Sjögren’s Syndrome
disease type 
demographic 
common symptoms 
gland affected

Answer 34

 Chronic, systemic autoimmune disease
 80% to 90% of cases occur in middle aged females
 Xerostomia, xerophthalmia or keratoconjunctivitis sicca
 Parotid gland swelling due to lymphocytic & plasma cell infiltrate

Question 35

mixed tumor/ pleomorphic adenoma occurrence rates, malignant or benign?

Answer 35

 A benign tumor that accounts for 53% to 77% of parotid gland tumors; 44% to 68% of submandibular gland tumors; and 38% to 43% of minor salivary gland tumors

Question 36

mixed tumor/ pleomorphic adenoma histology
shape?
tissue derived from?
other cells present?

Answer 36

• Well circumscribed and encapsulated
• Tissue derived from mixture of ductal and myoepithelial cells
• Keratinizing squamous cells and mucous producing cells are also present

Question 37

mucoepidermoid carcinoma
malignant/benign?
most commonly affected gland? common result?

Answer 37

 One of the most common salivary gland malignancies

 Most commonly involves the parotid gland. Consequently, pain or facial nerve palsy may develop

Question 38

mucoepidermoid carcinoma histology
composed of?
characterisitcs?

Answer 38

• Composed of a mixture of mucous producing cells and squamous epidermoid cells.
• Abundant cellular pleomorphism (altered morphology)tendency to form cystic areas within the tumor cell mass