Sublingual gland

1. Gl. parotis 2. Gl. submandibularis 3. Gl. sublingualis

The sublingual gland is a paired gland that lies on the upper surface of the mylohyoid muscle, externally from the geniohyoid muscle, the genioglossus muscle and the hyoglossus muscle. The gland lies directly under the mucous membrane of the floor of the oral cavity and thus conditions the eyelid - plica subligualis.

The gland has small ducts (ductus sublinguales minores) which open into the plica sublingualis. A large duct (ductus sublingualis major) is often created, which opens separately or connects with the duct of submandibular gland and opens together in the 'caruncula sublingualis'.

Histology[edit | edit source]

It is a tuboalveolar, branched and seromucinous gland. Its secretion has mainly a mucinous component. It contains mucinous tubules lined with mucinous cells ending in Gianuzzi's lunulae. There are no inserted outlets here, we only find very short annealed ones.

Topography and Syntopy[edit | edit source]

The cranial surface of the gland highlights the plica sublingualis.
The lateral surface of the gland faces the mandible in its fovea sublingualis.
The medial surface of the gland faces the extraglossal muscles.
The ductus submandibularis and Lingual nerve run along the medial surface of the gland .

Blood vessels and nerves[edit | edit source]

Histological preparation gl. sublingualis

Arteries are branches of the external carotid artery: sublingual artery and submental artery.
Veins drain into Internal jugular vein via sublingual vein and submental vein.
The sap drains into the parotid lymph nodes, into the submandibular nodes and then into the deep cervical lymph nodes.
Sympathetic innervation is made up of fibers that come along the arteries. Parasympathetic innervation comes from the chorda tympani ( facial nerve ) and lingual nerve.
Sensitive fibers are from the lingual nerve.

For more information see Innervation of salivary glands.

Links[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Article about glands on the website of Masaryk University

Reference[edit | edit source]

NAŇKA, Ondřej – ELIŠKOVÁ, Miloslava. Přehled anatomie. 2. edition. vydavatel, 2009. 415 pp. ISBN 978-80-7262-612-0.

ČIHÁK, Radomír – GRIM, Miloš. Anatomie. 2. upr. a dopl edition. Grada, 2002. 488 pp. vol. 2. ISBN 80-247-0143-X.