The parotid gland is a salivary gland in humans. It is a bilateral structure, and the largest of the salivary glands.

It is wrapped around the mandibular ramus, and secretes saliva through Stensen's ducts into the oral cavity, to facilitate mastication and swallowing and to begin the digestion of starches. Anatomy The word 'parotid' (paraotic) literally means around the ear. The parotid glands are a pair of serous salivary glands located below and in front of the external acoustic meatus draining their secretions into the vestibule of oral cavity through Stensen's duct. They are the largest major salivary glands of the human body. Position: Each gland lies posterior to the mandibular ramus and in front of the mastoid process of temporal bone. Shape: The gland is roughly wedge shaped when seen superficially and is also wedge shaped when seen on horizontal sections. Parotid Capsules: The gland has a capsule of its own of dense connective tissue but is also provided with a false capsule by investing layer of deep cervical fascia. The fascia at the imaginary line between the angle of mandible and mastoid process splits into Superficial lamina and a deep lamina to enclose the gland. Risorius is a small muscle embedded with this capsules substance. Surfaces: The gland has four surfaces superficial or lateral,superior, anteromedial and posteromedial. Borders; The gland has three borders anterior, medial and posterior. Ends: The Parotid gland has two ends- upper end in the form of small superior surface and a lower end (apex). Relation to other structures (1)Superficial or lateral relations: The gland is related superficially to the skin. Superficial fascia, superficial lamina of investing layer of deep cervical fascia and Great auricular nerve (anterior ramus of C2 and C3) (2) Anteromedial relations: The gland is related anteromedially to the mandibular ramus, masseter and medial pterygoid muscles. A part of the gland may extend between the ramus and medial pterygoid as the pterygoid process. Branches of facial nerve and parotid duct emerge through this surface. (3) Posteromedial relations: The gland is related posteromedially to mastoid process of temporal bone with its attached Sternocleidomastoid and digastric muscles, styloid process of temporal bone with its three attached muscles (Stylohyoid, Stylopharyngeus and Styloglossus) and carotid sheath with its contained neurovasculature (Internal Carotid artery, Internal Jugular vein, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th cranial nerves) (4) Medial relations: The parotid gland comes into contact with the superior pharyngyeal constrictor muscle at the medial border where the anteromedial and posteromedial surfaces meet. Hence there is a need to examine the fauces in parotitis.

Structures that pass through the gland These are from lateral to medial: (1) Facial nerve (2) Retromandibular vein (3) External Carotid artery (4) Superficial temporal artery (5) branches of the great auricular nerve. Blood Supply: The gland is mainly irrigated by External Carotid artery via the posterior auricular artery and the transverse facial. Venous Drainage: Venous return is to the Retromandibular vein. Lymphatic drainage: The gland is mainly drained into the preauricular or parotid lymph nodes which ultimately drain to the deep cervical chain. Nerve Supply: Innervations is entirely autonomic. Postganglionic sympathetic fibers from superior cervical sympathetic ganglion reach the gland as periarterial nerve plexuses around the external carotid artery and their function is mainly vasoconstriction. The cell bodies of the preganglionic sympathetics usually lie in the lateral horns of upper thoracic spinal segments. Preganglionic parasympathetic fibers leave the brain stem from inferior salivatory nucleus in the glossopharyngyeal nerve and then through its tympanic and then the lesser petrosal branch pass into the otic ganglion. There, they synapse with postganglionic fibers which reach the gland by hitch-hiking via the auriculotemporal nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve.

submandibular glands (submaxillary glands) are salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. The sublingual glands are salivary glands in the mouth. They lie anterior to the sub mandibular gland under the tongue, beneath the mucous membrane of the floor of the mouth. They are drained by 8-20 excretory ducts called the ducts of Rivinus.