Corpus: Salivary gland
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Synonyms: Glandulae salivatoriae (plur.), Glandulae oris (plur.)
English:
Definition[Bearbeiten]
The term salivary glands refers to the exocrine glands that release their secretions into the oral cavity and together produce saliva. They are present in all domestic mammals - with species-specific differences.
Function[Bearbeiten]
The salivary glands secrete their secretions into the oral cavity. The saliva fulfils several tasks:
- It keeps the oral mucosa moist,
- mixes with the food when chewing,
- contributes to the formation of slippery bites and
- releases flavours from the ingested food.
In ruminants, the alkaline saliva produced in large quantities (between 80 and 180 litres per day in cattle) serves to neutralise the short-chain fatty acids formed in the rumen (buffering capacity). Saliva in pigs is rich in amylase to break down the starch ingested with food in the oral cavity.
Due to the high content of immunoglobulins, saliva also plays an important role in immune defence. In many animal species, a content of growth factors (epidermal and nerve growth factor) can also be detected in saliva. These appear to play an important role in wound healing (licking of wounds).
Anatomy[Bearbeiten]
The salivary glands are categorised into two groups based on their size:
- the minor salivary glands (Glandulae salivariae minores) and
- the major salivary glands (Glandulae salivariae majores)
| Minor salivary glands of the oral cavity | |
|---|---|
| Glandulae labiales | Lip glands |
| Glandulae buccales dorsales | dorsal buccal glands |
| Glandulae buccales intermedii | intermediate cheek glands |
| Glandulae buccales ventrales | ventral buccal glands |
| Glandulae molares | molar glands |
| Glandulae palatinae | palatal glands |
| Glandulae linguales | Tongue glands |
| Glandulae gustatoriae | gustatory glands |
| Glandula lingualis apicis | Tongue tip gland |
| Glandula paracaruncularis | |
| Major salivary glands of the oral cavity | |
| Glandula parotis | Parotid gland |
| Glandula mandibularis | mandibular gland |
| Glandulae sublinguales | sublingual glands |
Clinic[Bearbeiten]
Saliva components can settle as sediment and form tartar. This consists of calcium salts, microorganisms and exfoliated epithelial cells that are deposited on the teeth. Tartar, which is deposited under the gums (subgingivally), promotes bacterial colonisation, which is a major cause of periodontitis.
Literature[Bearbeiten]
- Salomon, Franz-Viktor, Geyer, Hans, Gille, Uwe. Anatomy for veterinary medicine. 2nd, updated and expanded edition. Enke-Verlag, 2008.