SALIVARY GLANDS

A. Professor Dr Ruzanna
PhD, DM, MD, MSc
Lab I. Oral Cavity, Salivary Glands, Junqueira's Histology 14
edition, Chapter 16
P. 298- 300, 329-332
Learning Objectives
Be able to identify parotid, submandibular and sublingual salivary
glands on the basis of histological appearance
Be able to identify striated ducts of the salivary gland and correlate the
structural features of the constituent cells to the functions of these
ducts.
Know the localization of myoepithelial cells in relation to the acinar
cells, and their role in secretory functions.
SALIVARY GLANDS
MAJOR SALIVARY GLANDS
(paired structures):
1. PAROTID
2. SUBMANDIBULAR
(SUBMAXILLARY)
3. SUBLINGUAL
Secrete saliva only right before or during
eating
MINOR SALIVARY GLANDS
(diffusely scattered in oral
cavity):
1. BUCCAL (cheek)
2. PALATINE (palate)
3. LABIAL (lip)
4. LINGUAL (tongue)
Secrete saliva all the time to keep
mouth moist and are located in
the submucosa of different parts
of the oral cavity.
 SALIVARY GLANDS
The parotid, submandibular, and
sublingual glands all are:
➢ Compound (branched) glands
Compound = duct branches
➢ Tubulo-alveolar (acinar) glands
Alveolar = sacs Tubo = tubes
➢With a merocrine type of secretion
exocytosis

Merocrine secretion
Secretory granules migrate to the apical
surface of the cell
The membranes of the secretory granules
fuse with the apical membrane
The secretion is released to the external
environment by exocytosis.
 Structure of Salivary glands

Consist of two main elements:

– glandular secretory
tissue = parenchyma
– supportive connective
tissue = stroma
• divides the gland into
lobes and lobules as
connective tissue septa
• these septa carry blood
vessels, lymphatics and
nerves
• a connective tissue
capsule surrounds
salivary gland
Serous cells
➢ Pyramidal in shape Cell types of the salivary secretory unite
➢ Have rounded,
central nuclei with well-
stained RER and
basophilic cytoplasm.
➢ Are typical protein-
secreting cells.
➢Joined apically by
tight and adherent
junctions.
➢These cells form
acinus.
➢Numerous secretory
granules containing its
components of saliva
present in the apical
cytoplasm – granular
appearance.
Mucous cells
➢ Are more columnar in shape.
➢The cytoplasm of mucous cells appears unstained due to the loss of the mucus
product during tissue preparation.
➢The nuclei of mucus cells are flattened at the base of the cells.
➢They are most often organized as tubules rather than acini
acini.
Myoepithelial cells
➢Associated with the acini and the intercalated ducts.
➢Located between the basal lamina and secretory cells.
➢Similar to smooth muscle cells – but they are derived from epithelium.
➢Contain actin and myosin filaments and keratin.
➢Contraction expels primary saliva from the acini into the duct system and help
shorten and widen the intercalated ducts.
❖Secretory acini and tubules empty into intercalated ducts lined by cuboidal epithelial cells
❖Several of these short ducts join to form striated ducts
❖The columnar cells of striated ducts often show radial striations
❖The striations are enfolding of the basal plasma membrane
❖Numerous mitochondria are aligned parallel to the infolded membranes
❖Such folds greatly increase the cell surface area, facilitating ion absorption
The striated ducts of each lobule converge and drain into ducts located in the connective tissue
septa separating lobules, where they become interlobular, or excretory, ducts
They are initially lined with pseudostratified or stratified cuboidal epithelium, but more distal
parts of the excretory ducts are lined with stratified columnar epithelium containing a few
mucous cells
The main duct of each large salivary gland ultimately empties into the oral cavity and is lined
with non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium
Intercalated (blue) and Striated (green) Ducts

Michigan Medical School Histology Slide Collection

 Intralobular duct system
• Pleomorphic adenomas
Originate from the intercalated duct cells and myoepithelial cells
Oncocytic tumors
Originate from the striated duct cells
• Acinous cell tumors
Originate from the acinar cells.
• Mucoepidermoid tumors and squamous cell carcinomas
Develop in the excretory duct cells.
 In mixed secretory units
where mucous cells
predominate, serous cells
often form semilunar caps
called serous demilunes
surrounding the terminal part
of the mucous acini
both serous and mucus pale acini

Parotid gland Sublingual gland

only serous glands[acini] mucous acini dominate
striated duct bothserous and mucous
large amount of adipose tissue

Submandibular gland
• Parotid gland is a branched acinar
gland with secretory portions
composed exclusively of serous
cells surrounding very small Sublingual gland, like the
lumens. Large amount of adipose submandibular gland, is a branched
tissue is one of its distinguishing
features tubuloacinar gland formed of
• Submandibular gland is a serous and mucous cells. Here
branched tubuloacinar gland with mucous cells predominate with
secretory portions containing both
mucous and serous cells. The
serous cells only present in
serous cells are the main demilunes on mucous tubules. The
component of this gland and are major salivary product is mucus,
easily distinguished from mucous
cells by their rounded nuclei and
but cells of the serous demilunes in
basophilic cytoplasm. Most of the this gland secrete amylase and
secretory units in this gland are lysozyme.
serous acinar, with about 10%
consisting of mucous tubules
capped with serous cells. Such caps
are called serous demilunes.
• Serous cells secrete lysozyme
enzyme and Alfa amylase, proline
rich proteins
Thank You