• Question: Where are the sweat glands on your body and how do they work?

    Asked by tomalie to Asif, Laura, Lena, Sean, Viv on 14 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Laura Waters

      Laura Waters answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Sweat is a way of your body cooling down. Sweat glands are all over. Some animals cannot sweat, like dogs, so they pant instead.

    • Photo: Lena Ciric

      Lena Ciric answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      We have two types of sweat glands – apocrine and eccrine. The apocrine glands are under your armpits and around your groin. The eccrine glands are all over the body. Both contain a special type of cell that can contract to expel sweat. The apocrine glands secrete pheromones as well as sweat. It is thought that this might be to do with attracting mates. The eccrine glands are smaller and produce only sweat and cool you down.

Comments