Glands
Anatomy of the Glands
The skin has five types of glands: apocrine, merocrine, sebaceous, ceruminous, and mammary.
Sudoriferous (Sweat) Glands:
1. Apocrine sweat glands: Occur in the groin, anal region, axilla, areola, and beard area in mature males.
Structure: Their ducts lead into nearby hair follicles. The secretory part of the apocrine gland has a much bigger lumen than that of the merocrine gland. Apocrine sweat is also thicker and more milky than merocrine sweat because it has more fatty acids in it. |
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2. Merocrine (eccrine) sweat glands: Widely distributed throughout the entire body. These glands are especially abundant on the palms, soles, and forehead.
Structure: Merocrine glands are simple, tubular glands with twisted coils in the dermis or hypodermis. They also have a coiled duct leading to a sweat pore on the skin's surface. |
Other Exocrine Glands: