Wharton's duct
Submandibular gland passage
Wharton's duct is the tube that carries saliva from the submandibular gland to the floor of the mouth, opening beneath the tongue.
Named for English anatomist Thomas Wharton, who described it in 1656.
Salivary stones sometimes block Wharton's duct, causing pain and swelling.
- salivaMouth's digestive secretion
- glandSecreting body organ
- mouthOral opening
- tongueOral muscle for taste
- floorIndoor walking surface
secretion · parotid · sublingual · salivary · oral · anatomy · papilla · frenulum · drool · spit · mucosa · lingual · nerve · obstruction · stone · swelling · excretory · drainage
- Anatomical EponymsAchilles tendon, Adam's apple, Fallopian tube, Fallopian tubes, Pacinian corpuscles
- salivary glandssubmandibular gland, saliva, salivation, lobules