Life Without These Body Fluids Is Impossible

Saliva
Saliva is secreted by salivary glands in and around the mouth. The average adult produces about a liter of saliva per day, with peak secretion at meals. Like mucus, saliva contains antibacterial enzymes and antibodies, as well as mucus itself. Saliva helps to moisten food, which is important to lubricate chewing and swallowing. It also enhances taste, because if the chemicals in food were not in a liquid medium, they could not be detected by taste receptors.Some of the enzymes in saliva also begin to break down substances in food, such as starches, which are broken down by amylase. Because such enzymes are generally neutralized within seconds after reaching the highly acidic secretions in the stomach, they probably function mainly to break down food particles trapped between teeth, helping to prevent cavities.Patients who lack sufficient saliva have much higher rates of tooth decay and gum disease.