Sweating is the loss of a watery fluid, consisting essentially of sodium chloride and urea in solution, that's secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Sweat also consist of the chemicals or odorants 2-methylphenol and 4-methyphenol.
In humans, sweating is primarily a means of temperature regulation. Evaporation of sweat from the skin surface has a cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation of water. Hence, in hot weather, or when the individual feels hot through exercise, more sweat is produced. Sweating is increased by nervousness and revulsion and reduced by cold. Animals with few sweat glands, for example dogs, do similar results by gasping, evaporating water from the moist lining of the oral cavity and pharynx.
Sweat glands
In humans, there are two kinds of sweat glands which differ greatly in both the composition of the sweat and its purpose :
Eccrine sweat glands, which are distributed over the entire body surface. These produce sweat that's composed chiefly of water with assorted salts. These glands are used for body temperature regulation.
Eccrine sweat glands are coiled tubular glands derived from the outer layer of skin but extending into the inner layer. They are distributed over almost the entire surface of the body in humans and many other species, but are lacking in some marine and fur-bearing species. The sweat glands are controlled by compassionate cholinergic nerves which are controlled by a centre in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus senses core temperature immediately, and also has input from temperature receptors in the skin and modifies the sweat output, along with other thermoregulatory processes.
Human eccrine sweat is composed customarily of water with diverse salts and organic compounds in solution. It contains minute amounts of greasy materials, urea, and other wastes. The concentration of sodium varies from 35 to sixty five mmol/l and is lower in folk acclimatised to a hot environment. The sweat of other species generally differ in composition.
Apocrine sweat glands, that produce sweat that contains greasy materials. These glands are mainly present in the armpits and around the nads and their activity is the cause of sweat odour, thanks to the bacteria that break down the organic compounds in the sweat from these glands. Emotional stress increases the production of sweat from the apocrine glands, or more precisely : the sweat already present in the tubule is squeezed out. Apocrine sweat glands fundamentally serve as scent glands.
In some areas of the body these sweat glands are modified to supply totally different secretions, however, including the wax of the outer ear. Others are significantly enlarged and changed to produce milk.
In humans, sweating is primarily a means of temperature regulation. Evaporation of sweat from the skin surface has a cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation of water. Hence, in hot weather, or when the individual feels hot through exercise, more sweat is produced. Sweating is increased by nervousness and revulsion and reduced by cold. Animals with few sweat glands, for example dogs, do similar results by gasping, evaporating water from the moist lining of the oral cavity and pharynx.
Sweat glands
In humans, there are two kinds of sweat glands which differ greatly in both the composition of the sweat and its purpose :
Eccrine sweat glands, which are distributed over the entire body surface. These produce sweat that's composed chiefly of water with assorted salts. These glands are used for body temperature regulation.
Eccrine sweat glands are coiled tubular glands derived from the outer layer of skin but extending into the inner layer. They are distributed over almost the entire surface of the body in humans and many other species, but are lacking in some marine and fur-bearing species. The sweat glands are controlled by compassionate cholinergic nerves which are controlled by a centre in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus senses core temperature immediately, and also has input from temperature receptors in the skin and modifies the sweat output, along with other thermoregulatory processes.
Human eccrine sweat is composed customarily of water with diverse salts and organic compounds in solution. It contains minute amounts of greasy materials, urea, and other wastes. The concentration of sodium varies from 35 to sixty five mmol/l and is lower in folk acclimatised to a hot environment. The sweat of other species generally differ in composition.
Apocrine sweat glands, that produce sweat that contains greasy materials. These glands are mainly present in the armpits and around the nads and their activity is the cause of sweat odour, thanks to the bacteria that break down the organic compounds in the sweat from these glands. Emotional stress increases the production of sweat from the apocrine glands, or more precisely : the sweat already present in the tubule is squeezed out. Apocrine sweat glands fundamentally serve as scent glands.
In some areas of the body these sweat glands are modified to supply totally different secretions, however, including the wax of the outer ear. Others are significantly enlarged and changed to produce milk.