Макро-мікроскопічна характеристика залоз слизової оболонки твердого піднебіння людини у віковому аспекті

122 preparations of the hard palate mucous membrane of people who died at different ages were examined. The first signs of the hard palate mucous membrane can be found in 3 month embryos. Within 8 months the developing elements have the structure characteristic of the glands in their main details. In the mucous membrane of the hard palate in newborns all the glandular elements are presented. Glandular layer of the hard palate in children and juveniles includes 195 glands at an average. The same amount of the glands are characteristic of the hard palate at the age of 18—40. After 40 years the amount of hard palate glands decreases at an average to 165, and in people older than 60 years it drops to 110. The glands of the hard palate are of different shape and size. Their common excretory ducts are characterized with dilated proximal part and constricted distal part and have additional lobes. According to the type of their structure they may be referred to complicated branching alveolus glands