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Secretory Acini
All salivary glands have ducts and therefore exocrine in nature. They can be further classified on the basis of the shape of their secretory units; into tubular or alveolar (acinar); and by the complexity of their ducts into simple or compound. While the minor salivary glands are classified as being either simple or compound tubuloalveolar glands, most agree that all three major salivary glands are compound tubuloalveolar.
This image illustrates the difference between serous and mucous secretory acini. Serous secretory (A) cells form the acini to the right in this field. Mucous secretory cells (B) compose the acini on the left. Serous acini generally stain darker than their mucous counterparts and exhibit spherical nuclei rather than flattened, basally located ones.
Legend
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A - serous secretory cells |
B - mucous secretory cells |
