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Salivary Glands and Saliva

Salivary Glands and Saliva

The salivary glands, of which there are three pairs known as the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands, play a crucial role in maintaining oral health and initiating the digestive process. Positioned near the ears, beneath the masseter muscle, the parotid glands secrete saliva into the oral cavity through the parotid duct of Stensen. Meanwhile, the submandibular glands, located on the floor of the mouth, secrete saliva through channels named submandibular ducts. The sublingual glands,...

Exocrine Glands: Types of Secretions

Exocrine Glands: Types of Secretions

Exocrine glands produce and release a variety of glandular products. Exocrine glands can be classified into serous, mucous, or mixed types based on their secretory products.
Serous glands produce watery secretions rich in digestive enzymes and proteins. The constituent cells of the serous gland have centrally located nuclei and eosinophilic secretory granules in the cytoplasm. The parotid gland is an example of a serous gland. It secretes saliva, which contains enzymes, such as lipases and...

Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Glandular Epithelium

Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Glandular Epithelium

The glandular epithelium is made of one or more epithelial cells modified to synthesize and secrete chemical substances. Glandular epithelia can be classified based on cell number. Unicellular glands have individual secretory cells scattered across the epithelial monolayer. In contrast, multicellular glands consist of a hollow tubular duct attached to the cluster of secretory cells located in the deep pockets.
Multicellular glands are formed during early development when epithelial budding...

Exocrine Glands: Unicellular and Multicellular Glands

Exocrine Glands: Unicellular and Multicellular Glands

Exocrine glands are classified as unicellular and multicellular. The unicellular glands are scattered single cells, such as goblet cells, found in the mucous membranes of the small and large intestines. On the other hand, multicellular exocrine glands develop as secretory sheets, like the internal lining of the abdomen or chest. Such secretory sheets release their secretions directly into the lumen of these organs. In addition, some multicellular glands have deep-seated secretory units to...

The Physiology of Taste

The Physiology of Taste

The perception of a salty flavor is facilitated by sodium ions within the oral salivary fluid. Upon consumption of a salty substance, salt crystals disassemble, leading to the liberation of its constituents—Na+ and Cl- ions. These ions subsequently dissolve into the salivary fluid present in the oral cavity. The external environment of the gustatory cells experiences an elevation in Na+ concentration, thereby establishing a potent concentration gradient. This gradient propels the diffusion of...

Exocrine Glands: Methods of Secretion

Exocrine Glands: Methods of Secretion

Exocrine glands are those that release their secretions through ducts. Based on their mode of secretion, they can be classified into merocrine, apocrine, and holocrine.
Merocrine Secretion
Merocrine secretion is the most common type of exocrine secretion. The secretions are enclosed in vesicles and moved to the cell's apical surface, where the contents are released by exocytosis. For example, mucous, a watery secretion rich in the glycoprotein mucin, is a merocrine secretion. The eccrine glands...

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Updated: May 26, 2026

Isolation of Salivary Epithelial Cells from Human Salivary Glands for In Vitro Growth as Salispheres or Monolayers

Isolation of Salivary Epithelial Cells from Human Salivary Glands for In Vitro Growth as Salispheres or Monolayers

Published on: July 15, 2019

Heterotopic salivary tissue.

Daniel E Cannon¹, Sara Szabo, Valerie A Flanary

¹Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA. dcannon@mcw.edu

American Journal of Otolaryngology

|December 22, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Heterotopic salivary gland tissue (HSGT) is salivary tissue found outside normal locations. A case study details HSGT in a 13-year-old girl

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Genetic Modification and Recombination of Salivary Gland Organ Cultures

Genetic Modification and Recombination of Salivary Gland Organ Cultures

Published on: January 28, 2013

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Isolation of Salivary Epithelial Cells from Human Salivary Glands for In Vitro Growth as Salispheres or Monolayers

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Published on: July 15, 2019

Genetic Modification and Recombination of Salivary Gland Organ Cultures

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Published on: January 28, 2013

Area of Science:

Head and Neck Surgery
Histopathology
Developmental Biology

Background:

Salivary gland tissue can occur ectopically in the head and neck.
This includes accessory glands, branchial cleft anomalies, and heterotopic salivary gland tissue (HSGT).
HSGT is salivary tissue located outside major, minor, and accessory glands, without branchial cleft features.

Observation:

A 13-year-old female presented with a draining sinus in her lower neck.
Surgical excision and subsequent histological analysis confirmed the presence of HSGT.
Photographic and histological images document this rare finding.

Findings:

The case demonstrates HSGT presenting as a lower neck sinus tract.
Histological examination is crucial for diagnosing HSGT and ruling out other neck masses.
Literature review highlights varied presentations and management strategies for neck HSGT.

Implications:

Accurate diagnosis of HSGT is essential for appropriate patient management.
Understanding the embryological basis of HSGT aids in differential diagnosis.
This case contributes to the literature on rare head and neck presentations of ectopic salivary tissue.