Dear students

L4: Microstructure of Salivary glands

and Tongue

D. SILVIA SAWIRES
HISTOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY
&

Transfer Goal Students’ learning outcomes

• To study the histological structure of the tongue and
salivary gland and correlate it to their functions
At the end of this session, you have to
1. Correlate histological features of the tongue to function.
2. Interpret structural adaptation of different types of acini in relevance
to nature of salivary secretion.
3. Compare microstructure of different types of major salivary glands &
correlate to function.
 THE TONGUE
muscular organ
Function:-
1- food manipulation, speech
2- general sensory perception
3- special sensory function of taste.
The dorsal surface of the tongue is
divided by a V- shaped groove termed
the sulcus terminalis or gustatory
line
THE TONGUE
covered by oral mucosa on
its dorsal and ventral
surfaces.
THE TONGUE
❖ BULK
muscles striated run in three
directions (vertically,
transversely and longitudinally)
allowing maximal
mobility of the tongue.
THE LINGUAL PAPILLAE
➢ elevations on the anterior 2/3 of the
dorsal surface of the tongue limited by
the sulcus terminalis.
➢ INCREASE the surface area of the
lingual mucous membrane coming in
contact with the tasted food.
➢ CORE of CT covered by lingual mucosa
that may project to indent the
epithelium thus forming secondary
papillae.
➢ FOUR types according to their shapes
 FILIFORM PAPILLAE FNGIFORM PAPILLAE
➢ Number : ➢Number : few
the most numerous
➢ shape : ➢shape : mushroom-shaped. rounded
long conical inclination in the summit. highly vascular CT
anterioposterior direction. core→red spots in the living state.
➢ site :
rows parallel to the gustatory line ➢site :on the tip and edges.
Taste bud : absent
➢Taste bud : few, on summit

CIRCUMVALLATE PAPILLAE CIRCUMVALLATE PAPILLAE

Number : visible,8- 12
Site : just in front of the sulcus
terminalis (seen)
Shape :
✓ large, triangular papillae with a
flattened upper surface
✓ embedded within the substance of
the tongue to project only for a
short distance above the surface
✓ surrounded by a deep groove called
the trench.

Taste bud : numerous & at sides of

the papillae.
 CIRCUMVALLATE PAPILLAE
Numerous serous glands (Von Ebner's
glands) pour their secretion into the trench
❑ Functions of Von Ebner's glands:
a) dissolving food particles.
b) removing food particles from around of
taste buds →can receive and process new
gustatory stimuli.
Taste buds
neuroepithelial structures
specialized for perception of
taste sensation.
Sites:
1. embedded within the
epithelium of the lingual
papillae (fungiform, foliate
and circumvallate ).
2. Limited numbers within the
epithelium covering the
palate and epiglottis.
FOLIATE PAPILLAE
➢Number : rudimentary in human but
well developed in rodents
➢shape : rectangular,// sides separated
by clefts
➢site : rows on the lateral sides of the
tongue.
➢Taste bud : numerous and present
along the sides
➢Secondary papillae: long
histological sections
• pale, ovoid structures,
and connected to surface by a small opening
called the taste pore (gustatory pore).
It contains three types of cell:
1. supporting cells
2. neuroepithelial taste cells (gastatory)
3. basal cells (stem cell).
 Neuroepithelial (gustatory) cells Salivary glands
▪ spindle-shaped
▪ associated with afferent gustatory
nerve fibers. MAIN (major) ACCESSORY (minor)

▪ They have long, apical microvilli

(gustatory hairs) which protrude
out into the taste pore.

▪ Tastants (food dissolved in saliva)

stimulate the gustatory hairs of the
neuroepithelial cells.

stroma
 MUCOUS SEROUS
ACINI SECRETION Glycoprotein (mucus) Watery (salts+enzymes
SHAPE&SIZE Large- pale- oval- wide Small- deep- round- narrow
CELLS Cuboidal- flattened basal nuclie- Pyramidal- rounded- basal
MUCOUS SEROUS pale vacuolated basophilia
MIXED
Apical acidophilia
BASKET CELLS numerous few

Mixed acini Duct system

mucous and serous cells that pour their secretion into the lumen of
the acinus.
Intercalated duct
Recent microscopic studies intralobular
In routine histological preparation
(serous demilunes). artifact of fixation Secretory striated duct

Execrtory duct

Main duct
 secretory striated Parotid gland
 intercalary ducts unite →larger secretory striated ducts.
LM Secretory acini :
 columnar cells 100% serous acini
EM with relatively few
Basally →regularly- arranged myoepithelial cells.
mitochondria, (active ion transport)
to modify the composition of saliva. Fat cells:
large number

Sublingual gland Submandibular gland

Secretory acini :
Secretory acini :
Most acini are serous,
99% mucous, 1% serous,
but some are mucous,
represented by serous
and some are mixed and
demilunes surrounded by
contain mucous cells
numerous myoepithelial
with serous crescents or
cells.
demilunes
Fat cells:
Fat cells:
No fat cells
few
 Summary or take-home message
• Microstructure of the tongue and the salivary glands is well adapted
to their functions

• Lecture notes

Dear Student:
• Don’t forget to complete your KWL chart
• And reflect on your learning experience by writing down what do you
learnt from the lecture (3 points at least)