How Sweat Works Through the Body
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The Purpose of Sweat
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Sweat functions as your body's ultra-efficient cooling system. By sweating, your body lowers its temperature. Although sweat may not be very pleasant, it can save you from life-or-death situations, such as when you are overheated and suffer heat stroke. Thanks to sweat, you can exercise and withstand high temperatures without passing out. It is important to remember that sweat requires water in order to be produced by the body, which means that you have to replenish your sweat supply by drinking enough water every day.
How Sweat Is Produced
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Sweat is produced by the sebaceous glands under your skin, which number in the millions. These glands collect water from your body and release it when stimulated by the cholinergic nerves, which are controlled by the hypothalamus (the part of your brain that regulates body temperature and metabolism,), which, in turn, sensed that the body's temperature needed to be lowered. In actuality, the sweat glands release water slowly throughout the day, in such little amounts that you do not even notice it. However, when you exercise or feel anxious, the cholinergic nerves will fire off increasingly, causing the sebaceous glands to work harder and release more sweat.
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How Sweat is Released
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Once the sebaceous glands collects water, it will expel it through a duct at the end of the gland that travels to the outer layer of your skin. Specifically, it travels to a hole in this layer, called the pore. You have just as many pores on your skin as you do sweat glands, which is why you sweat not only through your armpits, but your feet, scalp, and palms. Once you sweat, you draw away heat from your blood vessels, which causes the blood to cool. As a result, your cooled blood circulates throughout your entire body, cooling each body part in turn. Another way to think of this is water evaporating from your body, just as evaporation from a boiling pot of water decreases its overall temperature.
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