Question

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

Answer 1

Saliva is the watery substance produced in the mouths of some animals, including human beings with the help of glands located under the tongue and near the ears. It makes swallowing of food particles easier.

Complete step by step answer:
Saliva is mostly water and helps to moisten the mouth, which helps in the conversion of compact food into softened particles for easier swallowing. Salivary glands produce saliva. Ball like a mixture of food and saliva is known as Bolus. Apart from water saliva it contains many important substances, including electrolytes, mucus, antibacterial compounds, and various enzymes. Saliva also helps in washing away pathogenic bacteria.
Saliva contains the enzyme amylase which helps in breaking some starches down into maltose and dextrin. This also indicates that the digestion of food occurs within the mouth, even before the food reaches the stomach.
Salivary glands are exocrine glands. Humans have majorly three paired salivary glands which are parotid gland, submandibular and sublingual glands.
- Parotid gland: It is the largest salivary gland present in humans. It is present on each side of the head in front of the ears. A viral infection, called mumps is caused by an infection in parotid glands.
- Submandibular glands: They are present beneath the floor of the mouth.
- Sublingual glands: These glands are almost almond-shaped that present on the floor of the oral cavity.

Note: Saliva is very important for our digestion process. The normal amount of saliva produced on a daily basis varies between 1 to 1.5 liters. The rate of production of saliva increases during eating and chewing activity and is produced slowly during sleep.