01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Around the cheeks and jaw and beneath the tongue, with smaller glands in the mouth lining.
02 / Structure & organization
The parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands form the major paired glands, supplemented by many minor glands. Acini produce secretion, and ducts modify and deliver it. Saliva includes water, electrolytes, mucus and protective components.
03 / Function
Saliva moistens food and starts breaking down starch.
04 / Mechanism
Glands release saliva through ducts into the mouth. It softens food, contains an enzyme that begins starch digestion and helps keep oral surfaces moist. The amount can increase when you smell or think about food.
Working together: digestive system
Teeth break food into pieces, the stomach mixes it, and the small intestine absorbs nutrients. Your blood then carries these nutrients around your body.
Meet this body system →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
Salivation supports lubrication, buffering and initial digestion. Different glands contribute different proportions of watery and mucus-rich secretions, influenced by autonomic activity.
Check your understanding
Locate the salivary glands in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Further reading: NIDDK: Your Digestive System & How It Works.
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.