01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Within the skin, connected to an opening or hair follicle.
02 / Structure & organization
Eccrine glands have coiled secretory portions in the dermis and ducts that usually open onto the surface. They release watery sweat. Apocrine glands occur in selected regions and generally empty into hair follicles.
03 / Function
As sweat evaporates, it helps cool your body.
04 / Mechanism
Many sweat glands send watery sweat through a tiny duct to the surface. Heat is carried away as that water evaporates. Nerves help regulate this response when the body needs to release extra warmth.
Working together: integumentary system
Skin forms a barrier, nerves in the skin notice touch, and sweat helps cool you when it evaporates.
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Connect structure with function
Cooling depends on evaporation, so humid conditions reduce its effectiveness. Sweat secretion and cutaneous blood-flow changes are related but distinct temperature-control mechanisms.
Check your understanding
Locate the sweat gland in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.