300897 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Salivary Gland, Parotid Gland, Sympathetic Nervous System
Document Summary
Salivary glands are innervated, either directly or indirectly, by the parasympathetic and sympathetic arms of the autonomic nervous system. Parasympathetic stimulation evokes a copious ow of saliva. In contrast, sympathetic stimulation produces either a small ow, which is rich in protein, or no ow at all. Parasympathetic innervation to the salivary glands is carried via cranial nerves. The parotid gland receives its parasympathetic input from the (cn ix) via the otic ganglion, while the submandibular and sublingual glands receive their parasympathetic input from the facial nerve (cn vii) via the submandibular ganglion. Note that in this regard both parasympathetic and sympathetic stimuli result in an increase in salivary gland secretions. The sympathetic nervous system also affects salivary gland secretions indirectly by innervating the blood vessels that supply the glands. The blood brain barrier (bbb) is a highly selective semipermeable border that separates the circulating blood from the brain and extracellular uid in the central nervous system (cns).
