Spittle. Functions and properties of saliva.

Our mouth it is part of the digestive system and it is there that digestion begins, aided by Spittle, a fluid produced by three pairs of salivary glands: the parotid, the submandibular and the sublingual.
saliva has how occupation lubricate and dilute the food (facilitating chewing, tasting and swallowing), in addition to protecting against bacteria and moistening the mouth. Saliva is composed of air (hence the frothy aspect), water (99.5%), ptialin, nitrogen, sulfur, potassium, sodium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, uric acid and citric acid. It also has enzymatic, structural and immunological proteins.
Human saliva contains a substance called secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), which has the function of protecting the body against viruses that invade the respiratory and digestive tracts. Saliva also has a microbial effect, which controls the growth of bacteria, so when there is no saliva, there is a greater chance of tooth decay. Changes in the amount of saliva can also cause halitosis.
One of the enzymes present in our saliva is the

salivary amylase, also known as ptyalin, which starts the digestion of starch and glycogen, breaking them down into maltose. Ptialin acts at the neutral pH of the mouth, but is inhibited when it reaches the stomach, because of the acidity of the gastric juice.
An adult person produces about 1 to 2 liters of saliva per day and when eating some food, the amount of saliva secreted increases. Stay with "mouth watering" because our nervous system stimulates the production of saliva by the salivary glands when we smell or taste food.
THE xerostomia it is a change in the amount of saliva in the mouth. It can be caused by the ingestion of some medications, advanced age (with aging, the salivary glands will atrophy), cancer in the head and neck region, diabetes, among others. With a low amount of saliva, the risks of having periodontal diseases, tongue coating and bad breath are greater. This also prevents proper chewing of food, causing the person to change the consistency of the food they eat, which can cause digestive problems.

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By Paula Louredo
Graduated in Biology

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

MORAES, Paula Louredo. "Spittle"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/saliva.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.