This document summarizes the key details about salivary glands. It describes the three major salivary glands - the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. It explains their secretions help keep the mouth moist, provide protection, lubrication, and contain enzymes and immunoglobulin A. The glands have secretory elements like acini and alveoli that produce secretions which drain into a series of ducts that pour into the oral cavity. The document outlines the histological structure of the glands including their serous and mucous cells, and describes myoepithelial cells that help contract and squeeze out gland secretions.

1. Salivary Glands
Dr Prennie Vidiera
Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical
College & Hospital

2. • Parotid glands
• Submandibular glands
• Sublingual glands

3. • Numerous small glands situated in the
mucous membrane
– Lips : labial glands
– Cheeks: buccal glands
– Tongue: lingual glands
– Palate: palatine glands

4. • Secretions,
– Keep mouth moist
– Protection
– Lubrication
– Enzymes (amylase & lysozymes)
– Immunoglobulin A

5. • Salivary glands are compound tubulo-alveolar
glands (racemose)
• Secretory elements (end pieces/portio
terminalis)
may be
rounded (acini)
pear shaped (alveoli)
tubular
mixture (tubulo-acinar or tubulo-alveolar)

6. secretory element
lead into
Series of ducts
through
Secretions are poured into the oral cavity

8. • On section,
large number of closely
packed acini/alveoli
Ducts scattered between
them
• Supported by connective tissue

10. Connective
tissue,
• divides glands
into lobules
• forms capsules
Blood vessels,
lymphatics
and nerves
run in the
connective
tissue

11. Alveoli
• Cell lining are serous / mucous

12. Serous
Stain darkly
(zymogen
granules)
Rounded nuclei
Towards the
base
Mucous
Stains lightly
Appears empty
Cells filled with
mucoid
materials
Flattened
Nuclei towards
basements

15. Alveolus
• Made up of serous or mucous cells
• Some cases,
mucous alveoli are covered by groups of
serous cells
arranged in the form of
Crescents or demilunes

17. Alveolus in,
parotid gland – entirely serous
occ, mucous
submandibular gland – mixed
Sublingual gland – mucous

18. • Secretory unit/ gland,
with only one type of cell – homocrine
more than one variety – heterocrine
All the 3 major salivary glands are heterocrine

19. Secretions produced in alveoli
pass along
A system of ducts
(different parts of these have differing structure)
smallest ducts
Intercalated ducts
lined by
Cuboidal / flattened cells
open into
Straited ducts
Lined by

20. Columnar cells
Open into
Excretory ducts
Lined by
Simple columnar epithelium

24. Myoepithelial cells
• Present in relation to alveoli & intercalated ducts
of salivary glands.
• On alveoli, these are branched.
• On ducts, these are fusiform & run longitudinally
• Cilia are present on some

25. • These are contractile
• Contractions help to squeeze out secretion
from alveoli