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eccrine gland

eccrine gland

7.0
A small part in the skin that makes watery sweat to cool the body
  • noun
  • /ˈɛkrɪn ɡlænd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : glándula ecrina
  • Doctors studied how the eccrine gland responds to extreme temperatures.

Examples

  • The eccrine gland helps cool the body by producing sweat during exercise.

  • Unlike the apocrine glands, the eccrine glands are distributed all over the skin.

  • The eccrine gland helps regulate body temperature.

  • Humans have millions of eccrine glands all over their bodies.

  • The eccrine gland helps regulate body temperature by releasing sweat that cools the skin as it evaporates.

  • When exercising, sweat from the eccrine glands evaporates, which helps to keep your body cool.

  • The human body has numerous eccrine glands that play a crucial role in maintaining thermal regulation.

Synonyms

sweat gland
vseccrine gland
  • Specialized
3 2.7

A tiny part in the skin that puts out liquid to cool your body

is a specific subtype that secretes mainly watery fluid for body temperature control
sudoriferous gland
vseccrine gland
  • Specialized
8.3

A small part of the skin that makes sweat to cool the body

is the specific variety that secretes watery fluid for cooling

Surface Forms

eccrine gland singular

Morphology

eccrine + gland

The meaning ('a sweat gland that secretes watery fluid') is directly derivable from combining 'eccrine' (indicating water-secreting) with 'gland' (an organ that releases fluids). This follows a regular biomedical compound pattern (X gland) common across languages, so a learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.

Etymology

The noun eccrine gland comes from eccrine, a word meaning 'to pour out', and gland, a part of the body that makes a liquid. These tiny glands send watery sweat to the skin to cool the body, so the name explains their job.