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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).
Studies have shown that even in these cases, lingual lipase is present in normal amounts, [5] and contributes to greater than 90% of total lipase activity in duodenum. [2] This can be attributed to the fact that lingual lipase has a low pH optimum and can thus remain active through the stomach into the duodenum, where there is a low pH in ...
The salivary glands in many vertebrates including mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva through a system of ducts. Humans have three paired major salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, and sublingual), as well as hundreds of minor salivary glands. [1] Salivary glands can be classified as serous, mucous, or seromucous (mixed).
The blood–saliva barrier (BSB) is a biological barrier that consists of the epithelial cell layers of the oral mucosa and salivary glands, and provides physiological separation between blood vessels and the saliva in the oral cavity. [1] [2] In Russian academic literature the barrier is usually called the hematosalivary or hematosalivarian ...
Saliva in the mouth can account for 30% of this initial starch digestion. Lipase starts to work on breaking down fats. Lipase is further produced in the pancreas where it is released to continue this digestion of fats. The presence of salivary lipase is of prime importance in young babies whose pancreatic lipase has yet to be developed. [14]
Hepatic lipase acts on the remaining lipids carried on lipoproteins in the blood to regenerate LDL (low density lipoprotein). – lipoprotein lipase: LPL or "LIPD" endothelium: Lipoprotein lipase functions in the blood to act on triacylglycerides carried on VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) so that cells can take up the freed fatty acids.
The pancreas and salivary gland make amylase (alpha amylase) to hydrolyse dietary starch into disaccharides and trisaccharides which are converted by other enzymes to glucose to supply the body with energy. Plants and some bacteria also produce amylase. Specific amylase proteins are designated by different Greek letters.
Lingual lipase: Lipid digestion initiates in the mouth. Lingual lipase starts the digestion of the lipids/fats. Salivary amylase: Carbohydrate digestion also initiates in the mouth. Amylase, produced by the salivary glands, breaks complex carbohydrates, mainly cooked starch, to smaller chains, or even simple sugars.