A cell or group of cells that makes and gives off a liquid substance.
A secretory area or mass on the surface, either embedded or ending a hair.
An organ that produces and releases one or more substances for use in the body. Some glands produce fluids that affect tissues or organs. Others produce hormones or participate in blood production.
A structure that exudes an oily, resinous , or sticky substance.
An area or structure that secretes a substance, sometimes terminating a hair.
A bump, projection, or round protuberance, usually colored differently than the object on which it occurs, and often sticky or producing sticky or oily secretions.
Small organs which secrete some oily or nectariferous product of the part, or any small swelling, whether it secretes or not.
A sticky tip to a hair, or a sticky spot or small knob on a leaf, petal etc that secretes viscous juice. The fleshy yellow bracts, oval or crescent-shaped, that alternate with the leafy bracts around the flower-clusters in Spurges.
An organ made up of cells whose main function is to produce chemicals for secretion.
An organ in the body containing cells that secrete substances such as hormones, sweat or saliva which act elsewhere.
In botany used for a variety of plant organs, mainly very small, associated with the secretion of any fluid such as nectar, resin, oil or even water. Most flowers have one or more nectar glands (or nectaries) secreting nectar as the ‘bait’ for pollinating birds or insects, but nectar glands can also be found on leaves or stems of some plants. Glands are often vestigial and no longer secrete anything.
Any of numerous organs in the body (e.g., thyroid gland), each of which is made up of specialized cells that secrete or excrete materials not related to their own metabolism but needed by the body. There are two main types of glands: endocrine, or ductless, glands that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream; and exocrine, or duct, glands that release materials into ducts or onto adjacent epithelial surfaces; included among the exocrine glands are sudoriferous (sweat) glands, sebaceous glands, and lacrimal (tear) glands.
Any one of many organs in the body comprised of specialized cells that secrete or excrete materials not related to their ordinary metabolism.
An organ or collection of cells forming a structure that produces and releases chemical substances, principally hormones and enzymes. The substances are released into the system of the body by the glands for a variety of purposes.
An organ or group of cells that is specialized for synthesizing and secreting certain fluids, either for use in the body or for excretion. There are two main groups of glands: the exocrine glands, which discharge their secretions by means of ducts, and the endocrine glands, which secrete their products (hormones) directly into the bloodstream.
A collection of cells or an organ with a specialized ability to make and secrete chemical substances such as enzymes and hormones essential for the normal functioning of the body. Glands are classified into two groups: endocrine and exocrine. The former secrete their products, hormones, straight into the bloodstream; the latter’s secretions are discharged through ducts. (These functional differences are the reason why glands have been defined as ductless and ducted.) Examples of endocrine glands are the adrenals, pituitary gland and thyroid gland. Exocrine glands include sebaceous glands (in the skin) and the salivary glands in the mouth whose enzymes start the digestion of food. The breasts or mammary glands are exocrine glands that secrete milk. Though strictly speaking not a gland, lymph nodes (part of the lymphatic system) are sometimes called that. While they do not produce secretions, lymph glands do release white blood cells, an essential part of the body’s defence system.
An organized cluster of cells or tissues that manufacture a substance to be secreted from or used within the body. Glands may be classified by their structure (e.g., tubular, saccular, villous, papillary, ductless), their complexity (simple, compound), their function (endocrine, exocrine), the quality of their secretions (mucous, serous, sebaceous, or mixed), or the way in which their secretions are released (e.g., merocrine, apocrine, holocrine, eccrine).
An organ of secretion on the surface, either embedded or protruding, often on the tips of hairs; hence glandular hairs.
Specialized organs that remove certain elements from the blood to convert them into new compounds.
An organ that makes one or more substances, such as hormones, digestive juices, sweat, tears, saliva or milk. Endocrine glands release the substances directly into the bloodstream. Exocrine glands release the substances into a duct or opening to the inside or outside of the body.
In the realm of biological systems, there exists an assemblage of cellular entities whose primary purpose revolves around the liberation of specific chemical compounds, commonly known as hormones. These bioactive substances hold profound significance in ensuring the optimal operation and coordination of various bodily systems, even when they may be situated in disparate anatomical regions.
This group of specialized cells is responsible for producing and releasing chemical substances, such as hormones and enzymes.
There are two primary types of glands: endocrine and exocrine. Endocrine glands lack ducts and release their secretions directly into the bloodstream. Examples of endocrine glands include the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands. On the other hand, exocrine glands have ducts and release their secretions either onto the body’s surface or into internal organs. Examples of exocrine glands are the sebaceous glands, which secrete sebum onto the skin’s surface, and the salivary glands, which release saliva into the mouth. The pancreas is unique as it releases both endocrine and exocrine secretions.
Lymph nodes are occasionally referred to as glands, especially when they become enlarged due to infection. However, this usage is technically incorrect because lymph nodes do not secrete chemicals.
A cluster of cells or an organ that produces and releases a specific substance into the bloodstream or into a bodily cavity, each substance carrying out its unique role.