What is Salivary gland?
[[File:Illu quiz hn 02.jpg|thumb|right|250px|#1 is the Parotid gland; #2 is the Submandibular gland; #3 is the Sublingual gland.<ref name=head/>]] The '''salivary [[gland]]s''' make [[saliva]]. Saliva keeps the [[mouth]] and other parts of the [[digestive system]] wet and slippery. It also helps break down food when you are chewing. This helps food go down the throat to the [[stomach]]. There are three main pairs of salivary glands.<ref name=head>Fehrenbach; Herring 2007. ''Illustrated head and neck anatomy''. Elsevier. 170{{ndash}}171</ref> They are # the [[parotid gland|parotid]], # the [[submandibular gland|submandibular]] and # the [[sublingual gland]]s. There are also many small glands in the [[tongue]], [[cheek]]s, [[lips]] and [[palate]]. All of those glands make [[mucous]]. == Salivary secretions and structure == Saliva consists of two fluids, '''mucous''' and '''serous'''. === Mucous === [[Mucous]] (slime) is a [[saccharide]] [[glycoprotein]] called '''mucin'''. With water it makes the slippery [[Lubrication|lubricant]] used in many parts of the body, where it lines the moving parts, surfaces and tubes. Here it lubricates the mouth, [[throat]] and [[alimentary canal]]. The mucous also has [[antiseptic]] qualities: it contains [[lysozyme]] and [[immunoglobulin]]s. Mucous, with its antiseptic molecules and slime, traps [[fungi]], [[bacteria]] and [[viruses]] and prevents infections. The body produces about a litre of mucous per day, in the mouth and other places.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/yucky/booger.html | title = What's a booger? | work = KidsHealth}}</ref> === Serous Fluid === The serous fluid contains the [[enzyme]] [[amylase]] which acts in the digestion of [[carbohydrate]]s. Minor salivary glands on the tongue secrete the amylase. The parotid gland produces purely serous saliva. The other major salivary glands produce mixed (serous and mucus) [[saliva]]. Another type of serous fluid is secreted by the two layered serous membranes which line the body cavities. T