Latin glandulae olfactoriae Dorlands/Elsevier g_06/12392516 FMA 77659 | Code TH H3.05.00.0.00026 TA A15.1.00.003 | |
 | ||
Olfactory glands, also known as Bowman's glands are situated in the olfactory mucosa, beneath the olfactory epithelium, in the lamina propria, a connective tissue also containing fibroblasts, blood vessels, and bundles of fine axons from the olfactory neurons.
An olfactory gland consists of an acinus in the lamina propria and a secretory duct going out through the olfactory epithelium.
Electron microscopy studies show that olfactory glands contain cells with large secretory vesicles. Olfactory glands secrete the gel-forming mucin MUC5AC(UniProtKB: P98088). Olfactory glands might secrete proteins such as lysozyme, amylase and IgA similarly to serous glands. The exact composition of the secretions from olfactory glands is unclear, but there is evidence that they produce odorant binding protein.