How many pairs of salivary glands are present in human beings?

Options

A. 2 pairs
B. 3 pairs
C. 4 pairs
D. 5 pairs

Answer

To determine how many pairs of salivary glands are present in human beings, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Role of Salivary Glands**:
- Salivary glands are responsible for producing saliva, which is essential for the initial stages of digestion. Saliva helps in lubricating food and contains enzymes like salivary amylase that begin the digestion of carbohydrates.

2. **Identifying the Types of Salivary Glands**:
- There are three main types of salivary glands in humans:
- **Parotid Glands**: These are the largest salivary glands located near the ears. They primarily secrete a watery (serous) saliva.
- **Submandibular Glands**: Also known as submaxillary glands, these are located below the jawbone and secrete both serous and mucous saliva.
- **Sublingual Glands**: These are located under the tongue and primarily secrete mucous saliva.

3. **Counting the Pairs**:
- Each type of salivary gland has a pair, meaning there are:
- 1 pair of Parotid glands
- 1 pair of Submandibular glands
- 1 pair of Sublingual glands
- Therefore, when we add these together, we find that there are a total of 3 pairs of salivary glands.

### Conclusion:
- The total number of pairs of salivary glands present in human beings is **3 pairs**.

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