What is the role of saliva in the digestion of food?


Saliva helps moisten the food and creates a food bolus for easy swallowing.

Saliva consists of the enzyme amylase to break down starches into maltose and dextrin. Thus, the digestion of food starts from the mouth.


 In mammals, the salivary glands are exocrine glands and composed of parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. The sublingual glands are a pair of major salivary glands located inferior to the tongue, anterior to the submandibular glands. The secretion produced is mainly mucous in nature; therefore, it is categorized as a mixed gland.

The main function of the salivary gland is to produce saliva through a system of ducts.

An enzyme in saliva called amylase begins to break down into maltose sugar.


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Updated on: 06-Jan-2023

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