Self-cultivation of the "Membrane World"-What is oral mucosa?

If the skin is a beautiful outer layer, then the oral mucosa is the soft pink lining. The oral mucosa is connected to the skin by the red lips in front and continues with the pharyngeal mucosa in the back. It is a transitional tissue connecting the skin and the digestive tract. Therefore, it has many similarities with the skin and digestive tract mucosa in structure and function, but it also has its own unique features: for example, the salivary gland duct opens on the mucosal surface, and the secreted saliva can keep the mucosa moist; for example, the oral mucosa is the place where the nerve endings are most concentrated in the whole body, and it has a keen perception of pain, touch and temperature. The grain of sand that cannot be tolerated in the eyes will be rejected in seconds in the mouth. In particular, the tongue papilla on the back of the tongue contains taste receptors exclusive to the oral cavity-taste buds, which can perceive sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty and other tastes. You can taste all kinds of life and know the warmth and coldness of the world. The oral mucosa is such a gentle existence. However, it is such a pink, soft and sensitive lining that provides us with three powerful and powerful defense barriers: salivary barrier, epithelial barrier, and immune barrier.

The first barrier is the saliva barrier, which is the moat of the membrane. On the one hand, it can wash away harmful substances, making it difficult for microorganisms to attach to the mucosal surface. On the other hand, the mucin in the saliva can form a layer of membrane, covering the entire surface of the oral mucosa, playing a role in lubrication, protection and antibacterial.

The second barrier is the epithelial barrier, which is the wall of the membrane boundary. The epithelial cells of the oral mucosa are closely arranged to form a complete and solid wall to prevent foreign matter or microorganisms from entering.

The third barrier: the immune barrier. Lymphocytes, granulocytes, macrophages, Langerhans cells, etc. are distributed in the oral mucosal epithelium. They are soldiers of the membrane immune force. Once an invader is found, they immediately stimulate the immune response, engulf and kill microorganisms, and protect the body from invasion.

Under the protection of these defense barriers, the world of oral mucosa can be busy in an orderly manner: self-cleaning, self-renewal, self-repair, constant monitoring and distinguishing between friend and foe, and the ability to dispatch immune forces at any time, guarding the oral cavity, the gateway to our body, with both hardness and softness.