ANAT 025 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Holocrine, Myoepithelial Cell, Sweat Gland
Document Summary
The skin houses two types of exocrine glands: the sweat (sudoriferous) glands and sebaceous glands. The opening of the sweat gland duct on the epidermal surface is an indented region called a pore. Merocrine sweat glands and apocrine sweat glands contain myoepithelial cells. In response to sympathetic nervous system stimulation, the myoepithelial cells contract to squeeze the gland, causing it to discharge its accumulated secretions into the duct. Merocrine sweat glands are simple coiled, tubular glands that release their secretion onto the surface of the skin. The adult integument contains between 3 to 4 million merocrine sweat glands, with the highest number occurring in the forehead, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. Merocrine sweat glands are controlled by the nervous system. The secretory portion of the gland is housed in the dermis or subcutaneous later, with a coiled duct leading to a sweat pore on the skin surface. Sweat is approximately 99% water and 1% other chemicals.
