# Are saliva glands semi-voluntary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770 "2001-12-04T03:16:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/1 "2001-12-04T03:16:18Z")
So I’m really parched, haven’t drank in a while, driving home, munching on cheeseburgers. Since my throat was really dry, the burger got stuck in the esopaghus (giving that “ow, my chest is choking” feeling. Immeadiately, my salivary glands went into super overdrive to give me some moisture down there. I thought it was an interesting reflex. And I assume it is, indeed, a reflex… but I was thinking about it. It seems like I can generate a lot of saliva for a short period of time simply by concentrating on it. Is this a case semivoluntary (like the lungs) muscles? ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/2 "2001-12-04T06:48:35Z")
Most definitely saliva glands are voluntary. Just try to generate a large amount of saliva and you will be successful. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/3 "2001-12-04T06:53:53Z")
If they were volunary, one could have perfect control over them. Can you “hold your saliva” like you can hold your breath (i.e. not salivate at all)? I can’t. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/4 "2001-12-04T06:54:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max the Immortal \* > \*\*If they were volunary, one could have perfect control over them. Can you “hold your saliva” like you can hold your breath (i.e. not salivate at all)? I can’t. \*\* point taken, but at the same time you can generate more saliva at will without any food present. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/5 "2001-12-04T07:05:07Z")
The salivary glands are sacs lined with myoepithelial cells, which are muscle like cells. These involuntarily contract with certain stimuli, like food. The salivary glands are constantly producing saliva, though, and don’t need myoepithelial cell contraction in order to eject it. This happens constantly, which keeps your mouth wet. Since the sacs are usually full and refill quite quickly, one can milk the duct with the tongue, for instance running your tongue along the floor of your mouth milks the sublingual glands. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/6 "2001-12-04T10:23:39Z")
I can squirt saliva about 5 feet out of my mouth from the gland under my tongue - looks like a snake squirting venom. I’ve been able to do this since I was a child. The chicks love it. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/7 "2001-12-04T17:08:31Z")
**jjimm** , you would have been quite popular in my junior high school. Back then, we referred to the practice as _gleeking_. There were several kids who were good at it. I don’t think that you can voluntarily stop saliva production, but you can voluntarily stimulate it. Oh, yeah, chicks do dig it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/8 "2001-12-04T17:36:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tamex \* > **. . . we referred to the practice as _gleeking_There were several kids who were good at it. . . .** We called it _gleet_ing, and I am _very_ good at it. I spent my sophomore year in highschool perfecting my skills of accuracy and distance, and at 38 still use it varying effect. Girls are no longer so keen on it, though straight guys tend to get a kick out of it no matter what their age. ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/9 "2001-12-05T23:11:13Z")
Instructions for “gleeking” and other valuable skills: [http://amasci.com/brain/](http://amasci.com/brain/) [http://real.fissure.org/articles/tricks.shtml](http://real.fissure.org/articles/tricks.shtml) Apparantly also described in “The Straight Dope Tells All” ---
**Author:** ![sim0n](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@sim0n](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sim0n)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2001, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-saliva-glands-semi-voluntary/96770/10 "2001-12-07T06:09:55Z")
yup- called it that in our school too… I’ve got superb control over it. I’ve found its a lot easier and a lot more comes out if you yawn first. and yeah, its somewhat of a build up charge, where you can’t keep doing it over and over or a continuous stream.