What is spit made out of?
Saliva is a clear liquid that’s made in your mouth 24 hours a day, every day. It’s made up mostly of water, with a few other chemicals. The slippery stuff is produced by the salivary glands. These glands are found on the inside of each cheek, on the bottom of the mouth, and under the jaw at the very front of the mouth. They secrete about 2 to 4 pints (or about 1 to 2 liters) of spit into your mouth every day. Spit is essential for lots of reasons. Saliva wets food and makes it easier to swallow. Without saliva, solid foods would be dry and difficult to gulp down. It also helps the tongue by allowing you to taste. A dry tongue can’t tell how things taste — it needs saliva to keep it wet. Spit helps begin the process of digestion, too. Before food hits your stomach, saliva starts to break it down while the food is still in your mouth. It does this with the help of enzymes, special chemicals found in the saliva. The combination of chewing food and coating it with saliva makes the tongue’s
