Exocrine gland

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Exocrine glands are glands that secrete substances onto an epithelial surface by way of a duct.[1] Examples of exocrine glands include sweat, salivary, mammary, ceruminous, lacrimal, sebaceous, prostate and mucous. Exocrine glands are one of two types of glands in the human body, the other being endocrine glands, which secrete their products directly into the bloodstream. The liver and pancreas are both exocrine and endocrine glands; they are exocrine glands because they secrete products—bile and pancreatic juice—into the gastrointestinal tract through a series of ducts, and endocrine because they secrete other substances directly into the bloodstream. Exocrine sweat glands are part of the integumentary system; they have eccrine and apocrine types.

Exocrine gland
An acinus is a round cluster of exocrine cells connected to a duct.
Details
Identifiers
Latinglandula exocrina
MeSHD005088
THH2.00.02.0.03014
FMA9596
Anatomical terminology

Classification

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Structure

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Exocrine glands contain a glandular portion and a duct portion, the structures of which can be used to classify the gland.[1]

  • The duct portion may be branched (called compound) or unbranched (called simple).
  • The glandular portion may be tubular or acinar, or may be a mix of the two (called tubuloacinar). If the glandular portion branches, then the gland is called a branched gland.

Method of secretion

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Depending on how their products are secreted, exocrine glands are categorized as merocrine, apocrine, or holocrine.[1]

Product secreted

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Additional images

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Young, Barbara; O'Dowd, Geraldine; Woodford, Phillip (2013). Wheater's Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas (Sixth ed.). Elsevier. p. 95. ISBN 978-0702047473. LCCN 2013036824.
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