â¢ SILICA (noun). The noun SILICA has 1 sense: 1. a white or colorless vitreous insoluble solid (SiO2); various forms occur widely in the earth's crust as quartz or cristobalite or tridymite or lechartelierite.Familiarity information: SILICA used as a noun is very rare.Dictionary entry details.ristobalite (a white mineral consisting of silica; found in volcanic rocks). lechartelierite (a mineral form of vitreous or glassy silica; formed by the melting of quartz sand (as by lightning or a meteorite)).
Besides these glands, there are many tiny glands called minor salivary glands located in your lips, inner cheek area (buccal mucosa), and extensively in other linings of your mouth and throat. Salivary glands produce the saliva used to moisten your mouth, initiate digestion, and help protect your teeth from decay.
The salivary glands in mammals are exocrine glands, glands with ducts, that produce saliva.They also secrete amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into maltose. minor salivary gland may have a common excretory duct with another gland, or may have its own excretory duct. Their secretion is mainly mucous in nature (except for Von Ebner glands-see next section) and have many functions such as coating the oral cavity with saliva.