Function of the sweat glands

The function of the eccrine sweat glands is to produce the secretion that we generally know as sweat. Sweat is a clear liquid that is slightly acidic (the pH value is about 4.5) and salty. Sweat also contains electrolytes other than common salt and other substances such as fatty acids, metabolic waste products and antibacterial substances such as dermcidine.

The secreted sweat serves several purposes in humans. Its most important task is to regulate the body’s temperature. By moistening the skin surface and evaporating from there, it has a cooling effect.

Moreover, due to the fatty acids it contains, sweat supports the natural acid protection of our skin and makes it supple. Furthermore, sweat also helps to fend off germs such as bacteria or fungi and thus participates in the immune defence. Last but not least, sweat also plays a role in the detoxification of the body, as otherwise urinary substances such as electrolytes and nitrogenous substances can be excreted. So if the kidneys are restricted in their function, this disturbance can be compensated up to a certain point by the sweat glands.

Difference apocrine and eccrine sweat gland

The apocrine sweat glands differ from the eccrine sweat glands in some important points. Their name is misleading, as they do not secrete sweat but scents, but they are a slightly modified form of sweat glands. Unlike the eccrine sweat glands, the apocrine sweat glands do not exist from birth.

They only develop during puberty. Another difference is that these sweat glands are only found in certain areas of the skin, including the genital organs, nipples and armpits. Although they are also located in the fatty tissue of the subcutis, they are closely connected to the hair follicles: The secretion produced reaches the surface along the excretory ducts on the hair shaft together with the secretion of the sebaceous glands.The exact function of these scent glands has not yet been conclusively clarified, but we already know that they are partly responsible for personal body odor and thus also for sexual behavior. On certain stimuli (especially excitement, fear or pain) they release their secretion, which contains, among other things, fragrances that are sexual attractants.