Biology notes for class 11 Digestion in Mouth

Biology notes for class 11 Digestion in Mouth

In the following article, the topic “Digestion in Mouth” from the unit Human Physiology of Class 11 Biology (Class 11) is discussed. In the following article, sub topic – Salivary glands and their role in digestion is explained.

DIGESTION IN MOUTH

We eat food by our mouth, inside the mouth; teeth are present that helps in cutting down the food into smaller parts. Further teeth help in chewing (masticate) the food. The broken food material is thoroughly mixed up with the saliva (the first of the digestive juices) and forms a paste like substance. Saliva is produced by the salivary glands present in the mouth. Let’s discuss salivary glands-

SALIVARY GLANDS: The salivary glands in mammals are exocrine glands (glands that pour their secretions by way of a duct) that produce saliva. The saliva breaks down the starch into sugars. There are three pairs of salivary glands;

• Parotid glands: They lie inside the mouthjust in front of the ears. They are the largest of the salivary glands. Their secretions enter the buccal cavity/ oral cavity (mouth) via the parotid duct or Stensen duct. The parotid glands are serous (producing water like secretions) glands. They produce thin and watery secretions. About 20% of the total salivary content in the oral cavity is produced by the parotid glands. The inflammation of the parotid glands causes parotitis also known as mumps.
• Submaxillary (submandibular) glands: These glands are located beneath the angles of the lower jaw. Their secretions are released into the mouth through Wharton’s They are the mixed type of glands as they contain cells which produce both serous and mucous type secretions. Even though the submaxillary glands are much smaller than parotid glands, but their secretions contribute approximately 65-70% of saliva in the mouth.
• Sublingual glands:These glands lie beneath the tongue.They produce mucous secretions.The mucous contains mucin. The secretions reach the oral cavity through a number of ducts called as Rivinius About 5% of the saliva entering the oral cavity comes from these glands.

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