Salivary glands are accessory digestive organs that produce saliva, which serves to lubricate food and aid in digestion through enzymes. Three salivary glands in the mouth are the parotid, sublingual, and submandibular glands.

University of Notre Dame

Organs that are not part of the digestive tract but contribute to its functioning, such as by secreting substances that aid in digestion. Some such organs include:

- Salivary glands
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Spleen
- Pancreas

Accessory Digestive Organs

The mouth, or oral cavity, serves as the first step in food processing, with its parts contributing to both mechanical and chemical digestion before passing the food along to the GI tract. Some parts of the digestive system include:

- Tongue
- Teeth
- Lips
- Gums
- Salivary glands

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Oral Cavity

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Anatomy of the Oral Cavity Figure (Figure 24.3). Reprinted from OpenStax Microbiology (p. 982), by N. Parker, M. Shneegurt, A.-h. Thi Tu, B. M. Forester, and P. Lister, 2016, Rice University. Copyright 2016 by Rice University.

Anatomy of the Oral Cavity Figure

Salivary Glands

Some components of a tooth include:

- Crown
- Dentin
- Pulp cavity

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