How do apocrine, exocrine, merocrine, and holocrine glands differ?

Question

Aaron Allen · Accepted Answer

**Please note that merocrine, apocrine and holocrine are all distinguished types of exocrine glands. **

Exocrine glands secrete their products in duct system as happens in case of enzymes, milk, sebum or sweat. This is different from the mode of secretion seen in ductless endocrine glands, which release their products (mainly hormones) directly in blood stream.

Merocrine glands secrete product through exocytosis of secretory vacuoles. No part of cell is lost in the process.

Apical regions (=away from basement membrane side) of cells in apocrine glands get pinched off as secretion, thus cells partially lose cytoplasm during secretion.

Cells of holocrine glands dislodge from basement membrane to give rise to secretory material, thus whole of cells are lost to give rise to secretory material.

Grace Acocella · Answer

undefined Apocrine glands release a portion of the cell along with the secretion, exocrine glands release their secretions through ducts, merocrine glands release their secretions via exocytosis without losing any part of the cell, and holocrine glands release their secretions by the rupture of the entire cell.