How many sweat glands does a human have? Sweat gland - function and appearance

Human beings have about 2-4 million sweat glands. A dark-skinned human being even has twice as many.

Thus, once ethnicity also plays a role. According to international studies, Koreans should have the fewest number of sweat glands. (Source Dieter E. Zimmer: "Smelling. A Science Report ", Die Zeit/ZEITmagazin, No. 44, 23.10.1987). Most of the sweat glands are located on the palms and soles of the hands; the fewest sweat glands are located on the head, stem and extremities.

There are actually some parts of the body that have absolutely NO eccrine sweat glands:

The inside of the foreskin, glans, clitoris and labia.

What types of sweat glands are there?

A distinction is made between the ecruinous (merocrine) glands and the apocrine scent glands, which are larger. Not all sweat glands work at full speed with hyperhidrosis (hyperhidrotic) sufferers.

The "responsible persons" for our sweating are the small, eccratic glands. Although they are responsible for a large part of the sweat, they also play an important role in regulating body temperature. Humans have about 2-4 million of these; on average, 50-339 eccratic glands per square centimetre of skin.

The apocrine sweat glands, on the other hand, are responsible for body odor. This is why they are also known as scent glands. When bacteria form and begin to decompose, they start to secrete (the apocrine gland) and spread the characteristic smell of perspiration. They also play a role in the unconscious choice of a partner.

How many sweat glands does a human have?

Table for overview - sweat glands per square centimeter


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