Sweat Glands and Sweating

Human skin is characterized by a large number of eccrine sweat glands that can produce copius amounts of sweat under hot and humid conditions. While this sweat can help in body cooling, it is typically produced in much greater excess than needed, leading to a risk of dehydration. In contrast great apes have fewer eccrine glands and instead use apocrine glands to generate sweat in the appropriate amounts necessary for cooling. Together with the wicking effect of fur, this system is probably more efficient. In humans apocrine glands are mostly confined to the armpits and pubic regions.