Salivary Glands

Dr Prennie Vidiera
Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical
College & Hospital
• Parotid glands
• Submandibular glands
• Sublingual glands
• Numerous small glands situated in the
mucous membrane
– Lips : labial glands
– Cheeks: buccal glands
– Tongue: lingual glands
– Palate: palatine glands
• Secretions,
– Keep mouth moist
– Protection
– Lubrication
– Enzymes (amylase & lysozymes)
– Immunoglobulin A
• 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)
 secretory element
lead into
Series of ducts
through
Secretions are poured into the oral cavity
• On section,

large number of closely

packed acini/alveoli

Ducts scattered between

them
• Supported by connective tissue
Connective Blood vessels,
tissue, lymphatics
• divides glands and nerves
into lobules run in the
• forms capsules connective
tissue
 Alveoli
• Cell lining are serous / mucous
Serous Mucous
Stain darkly
Stains lightly
(zymogen
Appears empty
granules)

Rounded nuclei Cells filled with

Towards the mucoid
base materials

Flattened
Nuclei towards
basements
 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
Alveolus in,
parotid gland – entirely serous
occ, mucous

submandibular gland – mixed

Sublingual gland – mucous

• Secretory unit/ gland,
with only one type of cell – homocrine
more than one variety – heterocrine

All the 3 major salivary glands are heterocrine

 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
 Columnar cells
Open into

Excretory ducts
Lined by

Simple columnar epithelium

 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

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