Mouth: walls are stratified squamous epithelial, soft palate closes nasopharynx when swallowing, saliva contains enzymes to break down food
Tongue: gripping, repositioning, and mixing food while chewing, creates bolus (food & saliva), initiation of speech, swallow, and taste
Salivary Glands: function of saliva is to cleanse mouth, dissolve food chemicals for taste, moisten food; contains serous (watery secretion, enzymes, ions, mucin) cells, and mucous (mucus) cells