Knowra Apocrine sweat gland Apocrine sweat gland An apocrine sweat gland is a skin gland that releases a relatively thick secretion into hair follicles, chiefly in the armpits and groin. Its secretion becomes odorous when skin bacteria break it down.
Apocrine secretion : A mode of secretion in which a cell releases material with a portion of its apical membrane and cytoplasm. The gland’s name comes from this historically proposed mode, though its secretion is now understood to occur mainly by exocytosis.
Skin : The body’s outer organ, composed of the epidermis, dermis, and associated structures. Apocrine glands are embedded in skin and connect to its follicles.
Hidradenitis suppurativa : A chronic inflammatory skin disease marked by recurrent painful nodules and tunnels, especially in skin folds. The disease commonly affects apocrine-bearing regions, although it is not simply an infection of apocrine glands.
Eccrine gland : A coiled skin gland that secretes watery sweat directly onto the skin surface. Eccrine glands are the other major sweat-gland type and serve a different primary function.
Hair follicle : A skin structure that surrounds a hair root and supports hair growth. Apocrine ducts usually empty into hair follicles rather than directly onto the skin surface.
Dermis : The connective-tissue layer of skin beneath the epidermis, containing follicles, vessels, nerves, and glands. Apocrine secretory portions lie deep in the dermis or extend into subcutaneous tissue.
Fox–Fordyce disease : A rare, itchy skin disorder involving blockage and inflammation around apocrine ducts. It is a condition directly associated with apocrine sweat ducts, often in the armpits.
Mammary gland evolution : The evolutionary history of mammary glands, specialized organs that produce milk. Mammary glands are modified skin glands with evolutionary ties to apocrine-type secretory structures.
Sebaceous gland : A skin gland that secretes oily sebum, usually into a hair follicle. It shares the follicle as an outlet but produces lipid-rich sebum, not apocrine sweat.
Puberty : The developmental period when hormonal changes produce sexual maturation and secondary sex characteristics. Apocrine glands become functionally active around puberty under hormonal influence.
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