Gland facts for kids

The leaves of this plant have glands that produce a fragrant, oily substance.

A gland is like a tiny factory inside your body. It's a group of cells that make special substances. These substances can be things like hormones, sweat, or even tears!

Glands are found in humans, other animals, and even in plants. They play a super important role in keeping your body working correctly.

What are the main types of glands?

There are two main types of glands, depending on how they release their special substances:

• Endocrine glands: These glands release their substances, like hormones, directly into your bloodstream. Think of it like sending a message directly through the body's main highway. Hormones travel through your blood to different parts of your body, telling them what to do.

• Exocrine glands: These glands use tiny tubes called ducts to carry their substances. These ducts can empty the substances outside your body, like sweat onto your skin, or into cavities inside your body, like saliva into your mouth.

Examples of glands in humans

Your body has many different glands, each with a special job. Here are a few examples:

• Sweat glands: These are sweat glands found all over your skin. They produce sweat to help cool your body down when you get hot. This is called perspiration.

• Pineal gland: This tiny gland is located deep inside your brain. It produces a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin helps control your sleep-wake cycle, making you feel sleepy at night.

• Salivary glands: These glands are in your mouth. They make saliva, which helps you chew and digest your food.

• Tear glands: Located near your eyes, these glands produce tears. Tears keep your eyes moist and clean, and they also help protect your eyes from dust and germs.

Images for kids

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  This image shows some of the various possible glandular arrangements. These are the simple tubular, simple branched tubular, simple coiled tubular, simple acinar, and simple branched acinar glands.

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  This image shows some of the various possible glandular arrangements. These are the compound tubular, compound acinar, and compound tubulo-acinar glands.

See also

In Spanish: Glándula para niños