Oral Histology - Salivary Glands & Tonsils

what kinds of glands carry their secretion some distance to the oral cavity by means of main duct?

major glands

what kind of glands empty products directly into the mouth via short ducts?

minor glands

what is the functional unit of the salivary gland?

alveolous or acinus

serous cells secrete what?

mostly proteins and small amounts of carbohydrates

what kind of cells contains zymogen granules or precursors of amylase?

serous cells

what describes the consistency of serous cells?

watery

what cells are high in carbohydrates and low in proteins?

mucous cells

mucous cells discharge what?

a viscous product called mucin

in mucoserous glands, mucous cells have what?

a “cap” or serous demilune

what kind of glands are salivary glands?

merocrine glands

what describes merocrine secretion?

involves exocytosis from membrane-bound vesicles or secretory granules, causes no damage to cells

what are the 3 bilateral pairs of major salivary glands?

• parotid glands

• submandibular glands

• sublingual glands

what describes location of parotid glands?

sides of the face in the front of the ears

what describes the location of submandibular glands?

inside the angle of the mandible

what describes the location of sublingual glands?

on either side of the midline beneath mucosa of anterior floor of mouth

parotid gland is what kind of gland?

almost all serous

sublingual gland is what kind of gland?

almost all mucous

submandibular gland is what kind of gland?

mixed (seromucinous)

what is the largest major gland?

parotids

what gland produces the most amount of saliva (60%)?

submandibular 

what gland produces the 25% of all saliva?

parotid glands

sublingual glands are what?

the smallest and contribute about 10%

parotid ducts extend what?

anteriorly across the masseter muscles and bend toward the mouth

what is the name of the duct associated with the parotid glands?

Stenson’s duct

parotid glands open adjacent to what?

crowns of the second maxillary molar teeth

ducts of submandibular and sublingual glands have what?

a common opening in the anterior floor of mouth

Wharton’s duct is located where?

at the sublingual carnucles

what is the name of the duct associated with the submandibular and sublingual glands?

Wharton’s ducts

ducts of the smallest diameter are what?

in direct contact with the salivary acini

ducts keep doing what?

increasing in size until it enters the oral cavity

acinar cells drain directly into what?

intercalated ducts

intercalated ducts are what?

low cuboidal cells

intercalated ducts open into what?

striated ducts

striated ducts are what?

slightly taller and more columnar

as ducts enlarge, their walls contain larger and more numerous cells, such as what?

stratified columnar cells

near the orifice, the duct becomes lined with what?

stratified squamous epithelium

glands of the inner cheeks are termed what?

buccal glands

glands of the mucosa of the lips are termed what?

labial glands

both buccal and labial glands are what?

mixed (seromucinous)

glands of the hard and soft palate are termed what?

palatine glands

glands of the tonsillar folds are termed what?

glossopalatine glands

palatine/glossopalatine glands are what?

mucous

tongue contains what?

lingual glands

the lingual glands found at the tongue’s tip are what?

mixed glands

at the junction of the tongue’s body and base, what are found?

purely serous glands of von Ebner

the tongue has what in the posterior region under the lingual tonsillar tissue?

mucous glands

what is the major salivary gland protein?

amylase

where is amylase found?

in parotid gland, lesser degree in submandibular

amylase is not found where?

in sublingual gland or mucoid-predominant minor glands

what are other proteins in saliva?

lysozyme and albumin

oral and pharyngeal pain can induce what?

secretion of saliva

how much saliva is secreted each day?

3 pints (1.4 liters)

what are function of saliva?

• wash the surface of the teeth and reduce acid etching of the enamel surface

• keep oral tissues moist and protect against irritants 

• aid in mastication and swallowing of food

• provide antibacterial action

• assist in formation of the pellicle

• provide protection in acid-neutralizing actions

presence of calcium and phosphate ions in saliva do what?

increases the enamel surface hardness of newly erupted teeth and assists in enamel remineralization

saliva is necessary for taste by what?

breaking down food molecules into a solution that is then brought into contact with taste buds

what is the subjective sensation of a dry mouth called?

xerostomia

an objective measurement of poor salivary flow is termed what?

hyposalivation

xerostomia is frequently associated with what?

salivary gland hypofunction

xerostomia typically demonstrates what?

a reduction in salivary secretions

myoepithelial cells function as what?

muscle cells to contract and squeeze the acinus, facilitating secretion

what cells have long processes that wrap around the acinar and intercalated duct cells?

myoepithelial cells

myoepithelial cells have what?

abundant cytoplasm containing smooth muscle actin

of all the salivary glands, which is most likely to have a tumor?

parotid

second most likely area to have a salivary gland tumor is what?

minor glands (most common palate)

tonsillar tissue surrounds the oropharynx in a ring called what?

Waldeyer ring

in the pharyngeal tonsil, the epithelium is what?

respiratory-type

in the palatine and lingual tonsils, the epithelium is what?

stratified squamous

what is the largest of the 3 types of tonsils?

palatine tonsils

palatine tonsils have what?

deep branching crypts in which oral bacteria may become lodged

lingual tonsils are located where?

on the posterior third of the tongue

lingual tonsils are surrounded by capsule of what?

nonkeratinized stratified squamous epithelium

what describes an aggregation of lymphocytes that do not have crypts?

pharyngeal tonsil

what describes the tubal tonsil?

when the pharyngeal tonsil grows laterally from the midline location to surround the opening of the eustachian tube

what is the most notable function of the tonsils?

the production of lymphocytes that protect the body from foreign microorganisms

plasma cells found in the area of salivary glands produce what?

IgA

what describes accessory lymphoid aggregate?

a small, round, or oval mass of lymphatic tissue that is found in the oral cavity

what describes a lymphoepithelial cyst?

true cystic development within oral lymphoid tissue, filled with keratin