Abstract
In mammals, saliva is a mildly acidic secretion made mostly of water (99.5–99.8%). In a healthy state, humans produce between 500 mL and 1.5 L of saliva per day. Saliva has numerous functions including lubrication, digestion, and immunity. Salivary glands are classified as exocrine, and as such, they produce secretions (i.e., saliva) onto an epithelial surface via a system of ducts. Saliva secretion and production are mediated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and thus; salivary glands have both parasympathetic and sympathetic innervation.
Within the oral cavity, there are three major salivary glands; parotid, submandibular, and sublingual, as well as hundreds of minor glands. These glands produce serous, mucous, or seromucous secretions that contain proteins and compounds, which are significant to salivary bioscience studies. Saliva composition depends upon health status and overall physiologic need.
This chapter will delve further into the macro- and microanatomy of the normal salivary gland and will detail the physiologic and neural regulation of saliva production, composition, and secretion.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Anatomy & Physiology. A learning initiative. Retrieved July 15, 2018, from http://anatomyandphysiologyi.com/glandular-epithelium/
Blausen.com staff. (2014). Medical gallery of Blausen medical 2014. WikiJournal of Medicine, 1(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436.
Choi, J. E., Lyons, K. M., Kieser, J. A., & Waddell, N. J. (2017). Diurnal variation of intraoral pH and temperature. BDJ Open, 3, 17015.
Cockle, S. M., & Harkness, R. A. (1983). Changes in the electrophoretic pattern of salivary peroxidase at the middle of the menstrual cycle. Biochemical Medicine, 30(2), 188–195.
Edgar, W. M. (1990). Saliva and dental health. Clinical implications of saliva: Report of a consensus meeting. British Dental Journal, 169(4), 96–98.
Edgar, W. M., O’Mullane, D. M., & Dawes, C. (Eds.). (2004). Saliva and oral health (pp. 14–50). London: British Dental Association.
Ekström, J., Khosravani, N., Castagnola, M., & Messana, I. (2011). Saliva and the control of its secretion. In Dysphagia (pp. 19–47). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
Feher, J. J. (2017). Quantitative human physiology: An introduction. Amsterdam: Academic Press.
Garrett, J. R. (1987). The proper role of nerves in salivary secretion: A review. Journal of Dental Research, 66(2), 387–397.
Garrett, J. R., Ekström, J., & Anderson, L. C. (Eds.). (1999). Neural mechanisms of salivary gland secretion. Basel: Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers.
Gupta, G. (2012). Gingival crevicular fluid as a periodontal diagnostic indicator-I: Host derived enzymes and tissue breakdown products. Journal of Medicine and Life, 5(4), 390.
Henskens, Y. M. C., Veerman, E. C. I., Mantel, M. S., Van der Velden, U., & Nieuw Amerongen, A. V. (1994). Cystatins S and C in human whole saliva and in glandular salivas in periodontal health and disease. Journal of Dental Research, 73(10), 1606–1614.
Humphrey, S. P., & Williamson, R. T. (2001). A review of saliva: Normal composition, flow, and function. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, 85(2), 162–169.
Jemmott, J., III, Borysenko, M., Chapman, R., Borysenko, J., Mcclelland, D., Meyer, D., … Benson, H. (1983). Academic stress, power motivation, and decrease in secretion rate of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A. The Lancet, 321(8339), 1400–1402.
Martini, F. H., Timmons, M. J., & Tallitsch, R. B. (2009). Human anatomy (6th ed.). San Francisco: Pearson.
Moss, S. J. (1995). Clinical implications of recent advances in salivary research. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, 7(5), 197–203.
Pedersen, A. M. L., Sørensen, C. E., Proctor, G. B., Carpenter, G. H., & Ekström, J. (2018). Salivary secretion in health and disease. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1111/joor.12664
Proctor, G. B., & Carpenter, G. H. (2007). Regulation of salivary gland function by autonomic nerves. Autonomic Neuroscience, 133(1), 3–18.
Roth, G., & Calmes, R. (Eds.). (1981). Salivary glands and saliva. In Oral biology (pp. 196–236). St Louis: C.V. Mosby.
Rudney, J. D. (1995). Does variability in salivary protein concentrations influence oral microbial ecology and oral health? Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, 6(4), 343–367.
Suppipat, N., Johanasen, J. R., & Gjermo, P. (1977). Influence of “time of day”, pocket depth and scaling on gingivai fluid flow. Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 4, 48–55.
Tenovuo, J., Laine, M., Söderling, E., & Irjala, K. (1981). Evaluation of salivary markers during the menstrual cycle: Peroxidase, protein, and electrolytes. Biochemical Medicine, 25(3), 337–345.
Widerström, L., & Bratthall, D. (1984). Increased IgA levels in saliva during pregnancy. Scandinavian Journal of Dental Research, 92(1), 33.
Zheng, L., Seon, Y. J., McHugh, J., Papagerakis, S., & Papagerakis, P. (2012). Clock genes show circadian rhythms in salivary glands. Journal of Dental Research, 91(8), 783–788.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hernández, L.M., Taylor, M.K. (2020). Salivary Gland Anatomy and Physiology. In: Granger, D., Taylor, M. (eds) Salivary Bioscience. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35784-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35784-9_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-35783-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-35784-9
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)