Corpus: Sublingual gland

The sublingual gland is a salivary gland situated beneath the tongue and is the smallest of the three major salivary glands.

Embedded deeply in the oral mucosa beneath the tongue in the sublingual space, the sublingual gland resides on either side of the tongue frenulum, within the bony structure of the mandibular arch. It makes contact with the mandibular arch anteriorly at the sublingual fossa. Posteriorly, it lies atop the mylohyoid muscle and typically extends to its dorsal end. Adjacent to the sublingual gland are the genioglossus muscle, the submandibular duct, and the lingual nerve.

The gland's shape resembles an almond. Unlike the other two primary salivary glands, it lacks a defined connective tissue capsule.

The gland features several small excretory ducts (ranging from 8 to 20) that either penetrate the oral mucosa directly or merge with the duct of the submandibular gland. These ducts are identified as follows:

• Major sublingual duct: This duct opens into the oral cavity at the sublingual caruncle alongside the sublingual duct.
• Minor sublingual duct: These smaller ducts open directly into the oral cavity along the sublingual fold.

The sublingual gland is primarily a mucosal gland, characterized as a mixed gland with a predominance of mucous cells. Serous cells and striated ducts are minimally present.

The gland receives parasympathetic innervation from the facial nerve. The cell bodies of the first neuron are located in the superior salivatory nucleus. Axons exit the facial canal as the chorda tympani, proceeding to the infratemporal fossa where they join the lingual nerve. Neural fibers transfer to the second neuron at the submandibular ganglion, and these fibers continue to the sublingual gland.