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“spittle”
saliva; spit, spittle
1. The clear, watery, liquid-mixture of secretions from the salivary and oral mucous glands that lubricates chewed food, moistens the oral walls, starts the digestion of starches, and contains ptyalin.
2. A slightly alkaline secretion of water, mucin, protein, salts, and often a starch-splitting enzyme (as ptyalin) that is secreted into the mouth by salivary glands, lubricates ingested food, and often begins the breakdown of starches.
2. A slightly alkaline secretion of water, mucin, protein, salts, and often a starch-splitting enzyme (as ptyalin) that is secreted into the mouth by salivary glands, lubricates ingested food, and often begins the breakdown of starches.
Saliva is a world of its own, teeming with bacteria, mucus, enzymes, skin cells, blood cells, and hundreds of different proteins; the product of multiple glands, serum leakage, drainage from nasal cavities, and whatever people put in their mouths.
Saliva is routinely used to test for hormone levels and illegal drugs; but, so far, the only disease it is used to detect is AIDS.
It's possible that in the future, saliva will yield information about certain diseases which can't be obtained currently from blood tests.
This entry is located in the following unit:
salivo-, saliv- +
(page 1)
Units related to:
“spittle”
(Greek: spittle, salivia; salivary gland)
(Latin: spittle, the fluid secreted in the mouth)
(Greek: saliva (suh LIGH vuh); spittle, foam from the mouth; the salivary glands)