The mouth is the powerhouse for loads of activity. Imagine what would life be like without our mouths. Not only do you have teeth in them, you also have the tongue to lap it up all! It is the place from where speech emanates and where the food is chewed and to some extent, digested. Hence, good brushing and regular flossing are most essential dental care habits. And always remember to check in with your dentist not just for any infection, but as a part of a routine checkup.

The mouth is a beehive of glands and bones. Of these, the salivary glands is very important, and it is where saliva comes from. The glands are made up of miniscule secretory ducts called acini and they secrete a fluid of mucus, water, enzymes and electrolytes. Various chemical components are absorbed or released via these ducts. In ruminants, the bicarbonate secretion from these ducts serve the purpose of neutralizing the tremendous amount of acidic intake.

Animal's oral cavity three pairs of salivary glands are:

* The mandibular or the submaxillary glands which secrete a fluid mixture of mucous and serous.
* The parotid glands which give out a watery, serous fluid.
* The sublingual glands which give out a thick mucus solution.

The difference in the glands is manifested in the Acini content. The acini is consists of cells which are either Serous or Partoid in type. Hence you have mucus in the sublingual glands and serous in the Partoid glands.