What are Apocrine Glands ?

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In the hot months when there is humidity in the atmosphere or the weather is hot, we sweat a lot. This is a way for our body to regulate body temperature and keep the body cool. Have you ever noticed that whenever we perspire our body feels a lot cooler? The sweat glands located in our body performs this function of regulating body temperature by perspiring. Aprocrine gland is also a type of sweat glands.

What are sweat glands?

Our body constitutes around 2 to 4 million sweat glands that are in coiled tubular form. These glands are located in the lower skin part or dermis and create watery secretion and let it out so as to control the temperature of the body. They produce a watery secretion and open on to the skin to help control body temperature and in case of stimulus provide emotional response. The process of body cooling occurs because during sweating the water given out is evaporated and that cools off your body.

What are the different types of sweat glands?

There are three types of sweat glands present in our body. They are:

• Sebaceous glands: Sebaceous glands are basically present on face, back, scalp, and chest. These are present right from our birth but become active only when a person reaches puberty. As the person matures, the sebaceous glands start secreting sebum that keeps the skin lubricated and prevents the drying of our skin. Sometimes an excess of production of sebum leads to problems like acne.
• Eccrine glands: Around 2 to 3 million eccrine glands are present in our skin and are scattered all our body. But mostly they are found in huge numbers under armpits, palms and feet soles. The major duty of these glands is to maintain body temperature.
• Aprocrine glands: These glands are located very deep inside the sub cutis and usually secrete sweat of milky type that cause body odor when bacteria comes in contact with the surface of our skin.

What are Apocrine glands?

Apocrine glands are mostly found in the groin, belly button, anal areas, armpits, breast, eyelid, ears and on skin. These glands become highly active after achieving puberty. The sweat in these glands is stored in the upper hair follicle part and through the follicle leaves the skin. In animals, apocrine glands produce typical odor so as to attract the attention of opposite sex. The sweat production by the apocrine glands enhances when the person’s stress or emotions are elevated. In the breast, they store droplets of fat which transform into milk whereas in ears they form the earwax.

What is the connection between apocrine glands and body odor?

Apocrine glands respond to the sex and stress by secreting a liquid which is decomposed by the bacterium. This gives rise to special body odor. Apocrine glands have been found to store thick fatty substance which when comes in contact with the bacteria starts forming odor. The bacteria multiply rapidly and break down apocrine glands secretion due to which the body odor spreads very fast.

 

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