Parotid

Parotid gland is the largest of the salivary glands in humans. It is a bilateral structure, and presents itself in a pair located in front of the ears extending to the space below the ear to the upper neck.

Anatomy

The parotid gland is wrapped around the mandibular ramus, and secretes saliva through the parotid duct (also known as Stensen's duct) into the mouth, to facilitate mastication and swallowing and to begin the digestion of starches.

Function

The primary function of the parotid gland is the production of saliva. This saliva is serous in nature and is rich in amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into maltose and dextrin.

Clinical significance

Diseases of the parotid gland can have significant effects. These can include parotitis (inflammation), parotid gland tumors, and parotid duct obstruction.

See also

• Salivary gland
• Parotitis
• Parotid duct
• Parotid gland tumors
• Parotid duct obstruction

References

Parotid Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski