submaxillary gland
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A salivary gland: The submaxillary gland is one of the three major pairs of salivary glands in the human body. It is located beneath the lower jaw (mandible).
- Producer of saliva: This gland produces a significant portion of saliva, particularly during rest or sleep (nocturnal saliva). It secretes a mixed fluid containing both serous (watery) and mucous (thick) components.
- Anatomical location and function: The submaxillary gland discharges its saliva into the mouth through a duct that opens under the tongue.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The submaxillary gland can sometimes become blocked, leading to swelling and pain.
- Saliva from the submaxillary gland helps begin the digestion of food.
- The surgeon carefully avoided the submaxillary gland during the neck procedure.
Advanced Usage
- Clinical Context: In medical terminology, "submaxillary gland" is often used interchangeably with "submandibular gland," though the latter is now more common in precise anatomical and clinical contexts.
- The ultrasound showed a stone in the duct of the submaxillary gland.
Variants and Related Words
- Submandibular gland (n): The modern anatomical term for the submaxillary gland. It is considered more precise.
- Submaxillary (adj): Pertaining to the area beneath the lower jaw. For example, "submaxillary triangle."
- Salivary gland (n): The general category of glands that secrete saliva, which includes the parotid, sublingual, and submandibular (submaxillary) glands.
Synonyms
- Submandibular gland: The direct synonym and more contemporary term.
- Mandibular salivary gland: A descriptive synonym emphasizing its location near the mandible.
Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)
- Wharton's duct: The specific name for the duct that carries saliva from the submaxillary gland to the floor of the mouth.
- Sialolithiasis: The medical condition of having stones (calculi) in a salivary gland or its duct, which commonly affects the submaxillary gland.
Noun
- a salivary gland inside the lower jaw on either side that produces most of the nocturnal saliva; discharges saliva into the mouth under the tongue