Abstract
The palatine salivary glands of the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) were investigated histochemically in 16 adults. The glands were homocrine and of the tubulo-acinar type. They were made up of only mucoserous cells that secrete and elaborate neutral mucosubstances, carboxylated mucins, sulfated mucosubstances and sialic acid. The histoenzymatic tests employed have detected alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase, succinic dehydrogenase, non-specific esterases, but not aminopeptidase, beta-glucuronidase and alpha-amylase. The duct systems of the glands do not secrete or elaborate any mucosubstances but they have demonstrated high enzymatic activities. The functional significance of these findings are discussed.