SALIVARY GLAND 2

STRUCTURE
LECTURE OUTLINE
• Basic structure of salivary gland
• Cells of salivary gland
• Ductal system
 Learning Objectives
Knowledge:
At the end of this session the students must be able to:
 Describe the structure, histology and function of intralobular ducts (Intercalated,
striated ducts) and interlobular ducts of salivary glands (Excretory ducts)
• Enlist and describe the structure and histological features of the types of epithelial
secretory cells i.e serous cells, mucous cells and myoepithelial cells
Skills:
 Apply the detailed knowledge in clinical dental practice for making
diagnosis and treatment plan
STRUCTURE OF SALIVARY GLAND
Secretory end pieces

Ducts
Secretory end pieces: The basic functional unit of the salivary gland is the
terminal secretory piece called Acini.

The acini/ secretory end piece is made up of:

Ducts: The ductal system of salivary glands consists of hollow tubes connected to
acinus initially and then with other ducts and progressively grow larger from inner
to outer portions

Salivary gland ducts are of two types:

 Intralobular Ducts

 Interlobular ducts
SEROUS CELLS
Serous acini is made of 8-12 serous cells surround central lumen
Each cell is pyramidal in shape with broad base on basement membrane
and apex towards lumen
ZYMOGEN GRANULES:
 These are secretory granules present in the cytoplasm 1µm in
diameter

 They are formed by glycosylated proteins that are

released into a vacuole

 These are immature granules and appear paler

 Their number is few in an unstimulated cell

 Secretary or zymogen granules are present more towards lumen

Zymogen:
An inactive substance which is converted into
an enzyme when activated by another
enzyme
• Base of the cell has parallel RER having cisternae studded with ribosomes
which have RNA and proteins
• These are attached to golgi bodies by budding vesicles
• Mitochodria and free ribosomes are also seen
• Lysosomes which destroy foreign material and worn out organelles by
hydrolytic enzymes
Serous cells show acid phosphatase, esterases, glucuronidase, glucosidase and
galactoside activity. Thus it is a typical protein secreting cell
• Cell nucleus by m-RNA encodes a message to ribosomes to make a signal
sequence
• This signal sequence is basically 20-30 NH2 type amino acids
• They enter RER and signal sequence is cleaved by signal peptidase(enzyme)
• The protein is sent to cis(convex) face of golgi and emerges from
trans(concave) face
• During these movements the proteins are glycosylated(adding of sugar to
proteins)
• In the Golgi complex the proteins are concentrated and transformed into
zymogen granules.
• The zymogen granules released from the Gogli complex migrate to the
surface of the cell.
• They are emptied in lumen by simple or compound exocytosis which is
release of multiple attached granules called string of pearls
• Cells devote 80% of capability for this function
Intercellular junctions:
• Tight junction
• Adhering junction
• Desmosomes
• Gap junctions
• Hemidesmosomes
 The mucous cell, like the serous cell, is specialized for the
synthesis, storage, and secretion of a secretory product.
Mucous cells are different in some aspects:
• Secretory products are accumulated at apical end thus
compressing
Nucleus, RER at base with a thin rim of cytoplasm
• Nucleus is flat or oval and located at base along other
organelles
• mucous secretion is different as
• There is no enzymatic activity only lubrication
• Ratio of carbohydrate to protein is greater, sialic acid
and sulfated sugars are present in large quantities
• Mucous droplets are formed in RER and transferred to golgi where
carbohydrates are added
• The Golgi apparatus is large, consisting of several stacks of 10 to 12
saccules sandwiched between the basal RER and mucous droplets
forming from the trans face.

• Same intercellular junctions as serous cells

• Lack intercellular canaliculi except for those covered by demilunes

• There is no exocytosis rather fusion of mucous droplets membrane

and plasma membrane of cell
Secretion of mucous droplets:
The secretion of mucous
droplets occurs by a different
mechanism than the
exocytosis

“When a single droplet is discharged, its

limiting membrane fuses with the
apical plasma membrane, resulting in
a single membrane separating the
droplet from the lumen.
This separating membrane may then fragment,
being lost with the discharge of mucus, or
the droplet may be discharged with the
membrane intact surrounding it.
During rapid droplet discharge, the apical cytoplasm may not seal itself off,
and the entire mass of mucus may be spilled into the lumen

Demilunes:
• Crescent or bonnet shaped serous cells covering mucous cells
• Such mucous cells have intercellular canaliculi
• Secretions from these demilunes reach the lumen through intercellular
canaliculi.
• Main function is to lubricate and form a barrier on surfaces
 Myoepithlial cells
• Stellate, spider-like shaped, flat nucleus, scanty
perinuclear
• cytoplasm with long processes
• Associated with acini and intercalated ducts
• Present between epithelial cells and basement
membrane and attached by desmosomes
• In intercalated ducts shape is fusiform,
elongated with few short processes
• Also called basket cells as they cradle the
secretory units
• Has cytokeratin intermediate filaments and
actin
• Processes are present in grooves in acini and
run longitudinally on intercalated duct cells
• Nucleus lies near basal area where 2-3 parenchymal cells come together

• Cell organelles are present near nucleus

• Micropinocytotic vesicles are present

• Innervation is by parasympathetic motor nerves

• These cells contract and result in secretion of exocrine glands.

• This is obvious due to
 Structure is like smooth muscle cells But derived from epithelium
 Myosin, actin and other contractile proteins are present
 Ductal pressure increases after salivary stimulation
 A pulsatile movement is observed in vivo when individual secretory
unit are stimulated
 Functions of myoepithelial cells
• Accelerate the initial outflow of saliva from secretory cells

• Reduce luminal volume. The intercalated ducts may shorten and widen the
ducts helping to maintain their patency.

• Contribute to secretory pressure in the acini or duct.

• Support the underlying parenchyma and reduce the back permeation of

fluid.
• Help salivary flow to overcome increase in peripheral resistance of the
ducts.
• Produce proteins with tumor suppressor activity like
Proteinase inhibitors
Anti-angiogenesis factors
They act as barriers against invasive epithelial neoplasms.
DUCTS OF SALIVARY GLANDS

The ductal system of salivary glands consists

of hollow tubes connected to acinus
initially and then with other ducts and
progressively grow larger from inner to
outer portions

Salivary gland ducts are of two types:

 Intralobular Ducts

 Interlobular ducts
 Ducts inside lobules called intralobular ducts. They are
Intralobular duct made of smaller intercalated and larger striated ducts.
Intercalated ducts pour saliva in striated ducts

Intercalated Striated
Ducts Ducts

Interlobular duct

Excretory
Ducts
Intralobular ducts pour saliva in interlobular ducts which drain into main excretory ducts
Intercalated ducts
 The intercalated ducts are lined by a single layer of low cuboidal cells
with relatively empty-appearing cytoplasm.

Organelles:

 RER located in the basal cytoplasm,

 Golgi apparatus of moderate size is found apically.

 In proximally located cells (near the secretory units) a few small

secretory granules may be found.

 The cells are joined together by junctional complexes and

desmosomes
Functions of Inercalated ducts:
Their main function is salivary modification through
secretory and absorptive process.

“The intercalated ducts contribute to macromolecular

components like lysozymes, lactoferrin and some
unknown components to the saliva.

These are stored in the secretory granules of the

cells.

Intercalated duct also house undifferentiated cells

which can undergo differentiation to replace
damaged or dying cells in the end piece or
striated ducts.”
Striated ducts
The striated ducts receive saliva from the intercalated ducts.
They form the largest portion of the duct system making intralobular ducts
and are lined by a layer of tall columnar epithelial cells with large, spherical,
centrally placed nuclei .

Radially oriented striations observed in the basal cytoplasm.

Abundant large mitochondria present between these infoldings
indicating that the cell is involved in active transport
Functions: 1. Involved in active transport (mentioned above)

2. The striated ducts are site of electrolyte reabsorption especially of

sodium and chloride and secretion of potassium and bicarbonate.

 This reabsorption is against a concentration gradient, hence requires a

substantial amount of energy.
 The luminal contents is converted from an isotonic or a slightly
hypertonic fluid into a hypotonic fluid as more Na and Cl are
absorbed

3. The striated ducts also modify the organic content of the primary
saliva.

 The duct cells synthesize and secrete glycoproteins such as kallikrein and
epidermal growth factor.

 The cells are also capable of reabsorbing proteins from the luminal
surface by endocytic mechanisms and stored as vesicles

Cells are impermeable to water and no water is absorbed or secreted

EXCRETORY DUCT

Striated ducts fuse with each other to make larger intralobular ducts

They further enlarge lose striation and become interlobular ducts with
increasing layer of connective tissue

As it enlarges its epithelium changes from tall columnar to pseudostratified

columnar epithelium, then stratified epithelium, then cuboidal and finally
stratified squamous epithelium like oral cavity epithelium having same
intermediate keratin filaments

Epithelium has connective tissue adventitia having collage and elastic fibers
which allow stretching

Large duct cells may have goblet cell and cilia

Brush or tuft cells with long stiff microvilli which are receptor cells are also present
Dendritic cells with long processes also seen, involved in immune response