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exocrine
exocrine refers to glands, or to secretions, where the discharge of the secretion is onto a body surface. This may be either onto the skin or onto one of the lining surfaces within the body: of the alimentary tract from the mouth to the anus; the respiratory tract from the nose down to the alveoli of the lungs; the urinary tract (urethra, bladder, ureters, and tubules of the kidneys); or the genital tract (vulva, vagina, uterus, and Fallopian tubes, or vasa deferentia and tubules of the testis). These tubes or cavities are all in continuity with the outside world, and exocrine secretions all deal in some way with the external environment, or with exchanges between it and the body. Thus secretions onto the skin (e.g. from sweat glands, sebaceous glands) deal with heat loss and surface protection; those into the gut (e.g. digestive enzymes, bile) deal with food; those into the respiratory passages (e.g. mucus, surfactant) with the filtering of inhaled air and facilitation of gas exchange in the lungs; those into the urogenital system with excretion and reproduction (e.g. substances in the urine, seminal fluid, cervical mucus). By contrast, endocrine refers to glands, or to secretions, where the discharge is internal, into the bloodstream.
Stuart Judge See epithelium; gland. |
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Cite this article
COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "exocrine." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "exocrine." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-exocrine.html COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "exocrine." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-exocrine.html |
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exocrine
ex·o·crine / ˈeksəˌkrin; ˈeksəˌkrēn/ • adj. Physiol. relating to or denoting glands that secrete their products through ducts opening onto an epithelium rather than directly into the bloodstream.Often contrasted with endocrine. |
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Cite this article
"exocrine." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "exocrine." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-exocrine.html "exocrine." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-exocrine.html |
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exocrine
exocrine See ECTOCRINE.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "exocrine." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "exocrine." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-exocrine.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "exocrine." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-exocrine.html |
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exocrine
exocrine See ECTOCRINE.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "exocrine." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "exocrine." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-exocrine.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "exocrine." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-exocrine.html |
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