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Saliva on a baby's lips. Saliva (commonly referred to as spit or drool) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth.In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be extracted), enzymes (such as lipase and amylase), and antimicrobial agents (such as secretory IgA, and lysozymes).
An amylase (/ ˈ æ m ɪ l eɪ s /) is an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of starch (Latin amylum) into sugars.Amylase is present in the saliva of humans and some other mammals, where it begins the chemical process of digestion.
The researchers confirmed the "good validity of [salivary] sex hormone measurements" and concluded that salivary testing was a good method for testing older adults due to the ease of in-home collection. [27] However, other studies suggest that such tests do not represent either the amount of hormones in the blood, or their biological activity.
Digestion: Saliva contains amylase, which hydrolyses starch into glucose, maltose, and dextrin. As a result, saliva allows some digestion to occur before the food reaches the stomach. [30] Taste: [31] Saliva acts as a solvent in which solid particles can dissolve and enter the taste buds through oral mucosa located on the tongue. These taste ...
Acinic cell carcinoma is a malignant tumor representing 2% of all salivary tumors. 90% of the time found in the parotid gland, 10% intraorally on buccal mucosa or palate. The disease presents as a slow growing mass, associated with pain or tenderness in 50% of the cases.
Saliva consists of mucus and serous fluid; the serous fluid contains the enzyme amylase, which is important for the digestion of carbohydrates. Minor salivary glands of von Ebner present on the tongue secrete the lipase. The parotid gland produces purely serous saliva. The other major salivary glands produce mixed (serous and mucus) saliva.
The test may be considered selective for saliva as α-amylase activity in saliva is typically several orders of magnitude higher than in other body fluids. [7] A study has shown that as many as 40% of saliva stains on garments go undetected when using alternate light sources. [8]
The test for amylase is easier to perform than that for lipase, making it the primary test used to detect and monitor pancreatitis. Medical laboratories will usually measure either pancreatic amylase or total amylase. If only pancreatic amylase is measured, an increase will not be noted with mumps or other salivary gland trauma.