Scientists have discovered a new salivary glands , deep in the upper part of the throat called Tubarial glands.
Because of their location over a piece of cartilage called the torus tubarius, the discoverers of these new glands named it tubarial glands.
This nasopharynx region, just behind the nose has microscopic, diffuse, salivary glands; the newly discovered are about 1.5 inches (3.9 centimeters) in length on an average.
The human salivary gland system can be divided into two separate groups: major and minor glands.
The major salivary glands are parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands.
The minor glands are distributed in groups of hundreds in the upper aero digestive tract mucosa.
These glands produce the saliva required for mastication, swallowing, digestion, tasting and dental hygiene.
The glands probably lubricate and moisten the upper throat behind the nose and mouth, the researchers wrote in the journal Radiotherapy and Oncology.
The discovery could be important for cancer treatment. Doctors using radiation on the head and neck to treat cancer try to avoid irradiating the salivary glands.
No comments:
Post a Comment