Salivary Glands 3

Sublingual

This is a slide of a sublingual gland. It is a mixed gland although the mucous element far exceeds the serous component, possibly by a ratio of as much as 10:1. The intralobular duct system is greatly reduced. Intercalated ducts are totally absent.

The overwhelming majority of the secretory elements in the sublingual are mucous acini (red arrow). They are more tubular than the serous acini found in the parotid and submandibular (blue arrow) and do not open into an intercalated duct (they form their own ductal system within the parenchyma). In many mucous acini there is a 'cap' of serous secreting cells - the serous demilune (green arrow)

The serous demilune is a 'cap' of serous secreting cells positioned at the distal end of a mucous acinus. It does not secrete into an intercalated duct as serous acini would normally do but the mucous acinus on which it is positioned acts as its ductal system.