The submandibular lymph nodes (submaxillary glands in older texts), three to six in number, are placed beneath the body of the mandible

Mandible

The mandible pronunciation or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place...

 in the submaxillary triangle

Submaxillary triangle

The submandibular triangle corresponds to the region of the neck immediately beneath the body of the mandible.-Boundaries and coverings:It is bounded:...

, and rest on the superficial surface of the submaxillary salivary gland.

One gland, the middle gland of Stahr, which lies on the external maxillary artery as it turns over the mandible, is the most constant of the series; small lymph glands are sometimes found on the deep surface of the submaxillary salivary glands.

The afferents of the submandibular glands drain the medial palpebral commissure, the cheek

Cheek

Cheeks constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear. They may also be referred to as jowls. "Buccal" means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve...

, the side of the nose

Human nose

The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...

, the upper lip

Upper lip

The upper lip covers the anterior surface of the body of the maxilla.Its upper half is of usual skin color and has a depression at its centre, directly under the nasal septum, called the philtrum, while its lower half is a markedly different, red-colored skin tone more similar to the colour of the...

, the lateral part of the lower lip

Lower lip

The lower lip covers the anterior body of the mandible.It is lowered by the Depressor labii inferioris muscle....

, the gums, and the anterior part of the margin of the tongue

Tongue

The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...

.

Efferent vessels from the facial and submental glands also enter the submaxillary glands. Their efferent vessels pass to the superior deep cervical glands.

External links

• Diagram at umich.edu - rollover to see labels
• http://www.med.mun.ca/anatomyts/head/hnl3a.htm
• Diagram at Baylor College of Medicine
  Baylor College of Medicine
  Baylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
  
  
• http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/27000835/
• http://www.aafp.org/afp/20021201/2103.html
• http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic306.htm#section~anatomy_of_the_cervical_lymphatics