The Salivary Glands

Abstract

The three pairs of major salivary glands include the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual. The minor salivary glands are numerous and are located in the mouth and oropharynx.All salivary glands are exocrine and have serous or mucous acini and excretory ducts. Serous acini have basally located nuclei, granular basophilic cytoplasm, and cytoplasmic zymogen PAS+ diastase-resistant granules, and they secrete amylase (Fig. 5.1 ). Mucous acini have basally located nuclei, clear vacuolated cytoplasm, and cytoplasmic sialomucin vacuoles, and they secrete mucin. The ductal system begins distally in the intercalated ducts, which are lined with cuboidal epithelium. The cells have central nuclei in communication with the larger striated ducts which are lined by mitochondria-rich columnar eosinophilic cells. The more proximal interlobular ducts are lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium with scattered mucinous cells. Myoepithelial cells surround the secretory acini and the intercalated ducts.