Salivary glands

Question 1

What are the three main salivary glands? What secretory tissue do they contain?

Answer 1

Parotid - serous acini
Submandibular - mixed - seromucous
Sublingual - mixed but more mucous acini

Question 2

What % of salivary flow do the 3 major glands account for?

Answer 2

80%
other 20% is minor salivary glands in oral mucosa

Question 3

Two morphologically different tissues in salivary glands?

Answer 3

• acinar cells (berry-like bunches)
• ducts - they connect to form large duct into the mouth

Question 4

What are the two types of acini found in salivary glands?

Answer 4

Serous - dark staining nucleus, small central duct, secrete water and a amylase

Mucus - pale staining , nucleus at base. large central duct, secrete mucous (water and glycoproteins)

Question 5

What are the two types of intralobular ducts in (salivary) glands?

Answer 5

Intercalated - short, narrow with cuboidal cells, connect acini to larger striated ducts

Striated ducts - striped at basal end (highly folded into microvilli), major site of reabsorption for NaCl

Question 6

What is the purpose of salivary ducts?

Answer 6

Modify primary saliva from acini (NaCl rich, isotonic, plasma-like)
Duct system modifies electrolyte composition
It secretes K+ and HCO3-
Reabsorb Na+ and Cl-
No water movement in duct epithelium
Final saliva hypotonic

Question 7

What is the position of the parotid?
What is the name of the parotid duct?

Answer 7

Triangle border: zygomatic arch, sternocleidomastoid, ramus of mandible and masseter

Stenson’s duct

Question 8

What structures pass through the parotid gland?
What surrounds the parotid gland?

Answer 8

External carotid artery and terminal branches
Retromandibular vein
Facial nerve and 5 branches

Parotid sheath - its very tough

Question 9

What are the two lobes of the submandibular saliva gland?
What is the name of the submandibular duct?

Answer 9

Larger superficial lobe
Smaller deep lobe in floor of mouth

Wharton’s duct, empties into sublingual papillae

Question 10

Which salivary glands contain both serous and mucous acini?

Answer 10

Submandibular - seromucous
Sublingual (mostly mucous acini)

Question 11

Where are the sublingual glands?
What does the sublingual gland drain into?

Answer 11

The floor of the mouth, just below oral mucosa
Submandibular (Wharton’s) duct /small ducts in oral mucosa of floor of mouth

Question 12

Where are the majority of the minor salivary glands?
What type of glands are they?

Answer 12

Concentrated in buccal labial, palatal and lingual, also around tonsils

All are mucous, except