Salivary Glands

About the Salivary Glands

The major salivary glands produce approximately 1 to 1.5 liters of saliva daily. Three pairs: parotid largest, near the ear, Stensen duct opens opposite upper second molar, produces serous watery secretion containing amylase. Submandibular beneath the jaw, Wharton duct opens under the tongue, produces mixed serous and mucous. Sublingual under the tongue, multiple small ducts, produces mucous. Saliva moistens food, begins starch digestion with amylase, lubricates with mucin, antibacterial lysozyme and IgA, buffers acid with bicarbonate, and aids taste by dissolving food molecules. Mumps parotitis viral infection causes swollen parotid glands. Salivary stones sialolithiasis cause painful swelling, particularly submandibular. Salivary gland tumors are most common in the parotid, where most are benign, the commonest type being pleomorphic adenoma.