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BookmarkA gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release such as hormones, often into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland).
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Every gland is formed by an ingrowth from an epithelial surface.
This ingrowth may from the beginning possess a tubular structure, but in other instances glands may start as a solid column of cells which subsequently becomes tubulated..
For more information about the topic Gland, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Exocrine gland — Exocrine glands are glands that secrete their products into ducts. They are the counterparts to endocrine glands, which secrete their products ... > read more
Salivary gland — The salivary glands produce saliva, which keeps the mouth and other parts of the digestive system moist. It also helps break down carbohydrates (with ... > read more
Sweating — Sweating (also called perspiration or sometimes transpiration) is the loss of a watery fluid, consisting mainly of sodium chloride (commonly known as ... > read more
Endocrine system — The endocrine system is a control system of ductless glands that secrete chemical messengers called hormones that circulate within the body via the ... > read moreNote: This page refers to an article that is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the article Gland at Wikipedia.org. See the Wikipedia copyright page for more details.
