Sweat glands in mammals are serous. This means they produce a watery secretion, unlike mucous glands which produce a thicker, mucus-like substance. The provided text explicitly states, "sweat glands of mammals are of this type," referring to serous glands.
Several sources confirm this:
- Reference 1: Clearly states that "sweat glands of mammals are of this type" referring to serous glands which produce a watery secretion.
- Reference 8: Shows a diagram illustrating "serous cells (S)" and "mucous cells (M)" within sweat gland structure. While some complexities might exist in the gland's composition, the predominant secretion is serous.
- Reference 9: While this resource discusses the apocrine sweat gland's secretion as mucous material in certain contexts, it's crucial to understand that different sweat glands exist (eccrine and apocrine), and this reference does not invalidate the primary characteristic of mammalian sweat glands as primarily serous.
While some sources mention other types of glands (like apocrine glands) possessing mucous components, the overall classification of mammalian sweat glands remains firmly within the serous category due to their primary watery secretion. The presence of mucous cells in certain sweat glands doesn't change their overall characterization.
