Sublingual Glands: Structure, Ducts, And Clinical Significance

Sublingual Glands: Structure, Ducts, And Clinical Significance

Write briefly about the sublingual salivary gland.
Answer:

• Sublingual salivary gland.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Anatomy:

• It is the smallest of the paired salivary gland.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Weight:

• Approximately 2 grams.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Location:

• In the anterior part of the floor of the mouth between the mucosa and mylohyoid muscle.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Ducts and their opening:

• Ducts of previous, small ducts open along the sublingual fold.
• Bartholin’s duct, a large duct opens at the sublingual caruncle.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Blood supply:

• Sublingual and submental arteries.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Nerve supply:

• Parasympathetic from VII cranial nerve, facial nerve.
• It reaches the gland via the lingual nerve after synapsing in the submandibular ganglion.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Lymphatic drainage:

• Submandibular lymph nodes.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Histology:

• It is a mixed gland, but mucous secretory units are more than the serous units.
• Serous end pieces are rare.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Acinar cells:

• Mucous cells are arranged in a tubular pattern
• Pure serous acini are rare or absent.
• Serous demilunes may be present at the blind ends of the tubules.

Sublingual Salivary Gland Ducts:

• Intercalated and striated ducts are poorly developed.
• Intercalated ducts are short.
• Interlobular ducts are few in number.
• Ducts are lined by cuboidal or columnar cells.
• They lack the infolded basolateral membranes.