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Salivary gland

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Salivary gland
Latin glandulae salivariae
Gray's subject #
MeSH A03.556.500.760
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Saliva keeps the mouth and other parts of the digestive system moist.

Saliva also helps break down carbohydrates (with salivary amylase, formerly known as ptyalin) and lubricates the passage of food down from the oropharynx to the stomach.


A summary is provided in the following table.

Summary of salivary gland features[1]
Salivary gland Location Secretion Cranial nerve Parasympathetic ganglion Contribution to
salivary volume
Parotid gland near the ear Serous CN IX (glossopharyngeal nerve) Otic 25%
Sublingual gland underneath the tongue Mixed, mostly mucous CN VII (facial nerve) Submandibular 5%
Submandibular gland ramus of the mandible Mixed, mostly serous CN VII (facial nerve) Submandibular 70%
Ebner's glands surrounding circumvallate papillae Serous - - -
minor glands tongue, cheeks, lips, and palate Mucous - - -

Salivary glands are innervated by the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system.











  • The sympathetic nervous system affects salivary gland secretions indirectly by innervating the blood vessels that supply the glands.

Role in diseaseEdit

See mumps (parotiditis epidemica), Sjögren syndrome and Mucocele.



Diagnostic investigationEdit

A sialogram is a radiocontrast study of a salivary duct.

Additional imagesEdit


  1. Douglas F. Paulsen (2000). Histology & cell biology: examination and board review, New York: Lange Medical Books, McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-8385-0593-7.

External linksEdit


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