Salivary
glands
Three pairs, parotid, submandibular, sublingual. Mumps begins as infective parotitis in the parotid glands in the cheek. The others open into the floor of the mouth. Saliva is a mixture of mucus and serous fluids, each produced to various extents in various glands. Also contains salivary amylase, (starts to break down starch) lysozyme (antibacterial) and IgA antibodies. In some mammals (and snakes!) saliva may be poisonous, quietening down living prey.