​What is the Chemistry of Saliva?

Saliva is a Solution: a homogeneous mixture of substances that combine to form a single phase, it is in the liquid phase.

The saliva solution consists of

·  98% water *** this is the solvent, it has the greater quantity
​·  2% (electrolytes, enzymes, and antibacterial compounds) *** This is the solute and is dispersed in the solvent

The 2% Solute consists of

·  Electrolytes (Electrolytes are ions in solutions, also known as salts, for example, NaCl and KI)
· Enzymes (Enzymes are catalysts, catalysts speed up the rate & lower the activation energy of a Chemical Reaction)
· Antibacterial Compounds (antibacterial compounds are pure substances that are composed of two or more elements in fixed proportions)