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# 6.2c Exocrine Glands of the Skin ## Learning Objective - Compare and contrast the structure, function, and location of the two types of exocrine glands of the skin. The skin houses many types of exocrine glands. The two most common types of exocrine glands are sweat (sudoriferous) glands and se...

# 6.2c Exocrine Glands of the Skin ## Learning Objective - Compare and contrast the structure, function, and location of the two types of exocrine glands of the skin. The skin houses many types of exocrine glands. The two most common types of exocrine glands are sweat (sudoriferous) glands and sebaceous glands; these are shown in figure 6.11. ## Sweat Glands The two different groups of sweat glands in the skin are merocrine (eccrine) sweat glands and apocrine sweat glands (see section 5.1d). Both have a coiled, tubular secretory portion that is located in the reticular layer of the dermis and a sweat gland duct that transports the secretion to the surface of the epidermis (in a merocrine sweat gland) or into a hair follicle (in an apocrine sweat gland). The opening of the sweat gland duct on the epidermal surface is an indented region called a sweat pore. Both types of sweat glands contain myoepithelial cells (specialized epithelial cells with contractile proteins like muscle). These specialized epithelial cells are sandwiched between the secretory gland cells and the underlying basement membrane. In response to nervous system stimulation, myoepithelial cells contract to squeeze the gland, causing it to discharge its accumulated secretions. ## What do you think? The autonomic nervous system is a part of the nervous system that can be activated when we are frightened or nervous. What would you expect to happen to sweat gland production and secretion when we are frightened or nervous? ## Figure 6.11 Exocrine Glands of the Skin - The integument contains sweat glands and sebaceous glands. - Merocrine sweat glands have a duct with a narrow lumen that opens onto the skin surface through a pore. - Apocrine sweat glands exhibit a duct with a larger lumen to convey secretion products into a hair follicle. - The cells of sebaceous glands are destroyed during the release of their oily secretion into the hair follicle. **Image Descriptions** **(b) Merocrine sweat gland** - A magnified image of the skin - Visible is the merocrine sweat gland duct **(c) Apocrine sweat gland** - A magnified image of the skin - Visible is the apocrine sweat gland duct **(d) Sebaceous glands** - A magnified image of the skin - Visible are the sebaceous gland and a hair follicle **(a) Exocrine Glands of the Skin: general figure with labeled anatomy** - Visible are the arrector pili muscle, the apocrine sweat gland, the merocrine sweat gland, the sebaceous gland, the hair follicle, the sweat gland duct and the sweat pore.