Practical - Sweat Glands & Substances Produced in/by the Skin

two types of sweat glands

• eccrine (merocrine)

• apocrine

eccrine (merocrine) sweat gland

• found all over the body

• most densely on the palms, soles, and forehead

• primarily responsible for cooling the body

apocrine sweat gland

• found in specific areas like the armpits and groin

• in hair follicles (secrete sebum - oily or waxy sweat)

• secrete a thicker fluid that can produce body odor when it interacts with bacteria on the skin

• waxy sweat

sebum

• secreted by sebaceous glands (oil glands) into hair follicles - found in dermis

• function:

  • lubrication and moisturizing

  • protection

  • antimicrobial properties

sweat

• produced by eccrine and apocrine sweat glands

• function:

  • thermoregulation

  • waste elimination

  • microbiome influence (body odor)

keratin

• tough fibrous protein of the epidermis (hair & nails)

• function:

  • structural integrity

  • exfoliation

melanin

• produced by melanocytes (pigmentation of skin, hair, and eye color) - found in stratum basale of epidermis

• function:

  • UV protection

ceramides

• lipids that are crucial for the function of the skin barrier

• function:

  • moisture retention

  • immune regulation

vitamin D

• skin synthesizes vitamin D as when exposed to sunlight cholecalciferol in the skin is converted into a form of vitamin D

• function:

  • bone health

natural moisturizing factors

• mix of acid compounds that absorb and retain moisture within the skin’s outer layer

• function:

  • hydration (pulls water into the stratum corneum)

  • acid mantle (skin’s naturally acidic pH)

microbiome-produced chemicals

• skin’s complex ecosystem of microbes

• function:

  • antimicrobial agents

  • barrier reinforcement