Salivary Glands

Salivary Gland

A. Submandibular gland

• Is ensheathed by the investing layer of the deep cervical fascia and lies in the submandibular triangle.
• Its superficial portion is situated superficial to the mylohyoid muscle.
• Its deep portion is located between the hyoglossus and styloglossus muscles medially and the mylohyoid muscle laterally and between the lingual nerve above and the hypoglossal nerve below.
• Wharton's duct arises from the deep portion and runs forward between the mylohyoid and the hyoglossus, where it runs medial to and then superior to the lingual nerve. It then runs between the sublingual gland and the genioglossus and empties at the summit of the sublingual papilla (caruncle) at the side of the frenulum of the tongue.
• Is innervated by parasympathetic secretomotor fibers from the facial nerve, which run in the chorda tympani and in the lingual nerve and synapse in the submandibular ganglion.

B. Sublingual gland

• Is located in the floor of the mouth between the mucous membrane above and the mylohyoid muscle below.
• Surrounds the terminal portion of the submandibular duct.
• Empties mostly into the floor of the mouth along the sublingual fold by 12 short ducts, some of which enter the submandibular duct.
• Is supplied by postganglionic parasympathetic (secretomotor) fibers from the submandibular ganglion either directly or through the lingual nerve.

◄.....Go back to the Gross Anatomy homepage