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Sweat Gland Distribution.

Kaylyn Lambey, Kyjuan King, Marleen Chavarria

Saint John’s College Junior College

May 3, 2021
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Abstract

Sweating is a multifunctional response in mammals that aids in locomotion, thermal control,

self-protection, and psychological state communication. Humans have three separate types of

sweat glands named apocrine and eccrine, which are distributed differently on the body

surface and contribute differently to these different functions of the sweating response. Eccrine

glands, which are found on hairy skin and are widely distributed, play an important role in

thermoregulation in humans. The minor’s test will be conducted in order to measure the sweat

output on the forearm and palm of hands between two subjects. This test is useful evaluating

sympathetic function and limbic activity in autonomic and psychiatric disorders.

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Introduction

Throughout the body skin exocrine glands that produce sweat are found, which are called sweat

glands. By producing sweat the body can regulate body temperature. When the sweat dries off

the body’s surface it will cool down the body. Sweat also lubricates the skin prohibiting bacteria

from growing or thriving. There is a different distribution of sweat glands in different areas of

the body. One area may produce more sweat than another area would produce. This is a short lab

where students use Povidone Iodine and bond paper to detect the number of sweat glands on a

square centimeter surface of their skin. The lab is designed to compare the palm of the hand and

the skin of the forearm.

Topic: The Integumentary System

Title: Sweat gland distribution in palm of hand vs the forearm.

Problem Statement: Phoebe and her best friend, Sarah, are both 16-year-old science students,

who are very shy and socially awkward. Both girls get super sweaty in the arms and in the palm

of hands when they are nervous. Oftentimes, they are victims of teasing and bullying by their

classmates simply because they sweat a lot. Although the girls were tired of the bullying, they

became more self-conscious and insecure so they decided to use their science knowledge, to set

out a plan to test and investigate why certain parts of their body, specifically, the arm and palms

sweats more than others.

Purpose: The importance of this research stems from the fact that many teenagers are

experiencing changes as their body goes through puberty. Some of the basic changes are growth

spurts, deepening voice, broad shoulders, pubic hair and embarrassing of all, sweating. Sweat is

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normal and is one way the body excrete products to maintain homeostasis. Sweat is produced in exocrine glands

that are found in the skin throughout the body. Each area of the body has a different distribution of sweat glands.

Although it is natural, teenagers often have difficulty coping with it since it shows on your clothes and in some

cases, even stink. Though each individual is unique, this lab serves to investigate and compare the number of

sweat glands in two areas of the human extremities, then determine which of the two produces more sweat

glands and are more ‘sweaty’.

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Objectives :

1. To outline the function of the sweat glands.

2. To enhance the knowledge of the Integumentary System and sweat glands.

3. To compare the number of sweat glands, present in the palm of the hand and

the skin of the forearm.

§ Hypothesis:

• If there is a large number of small, dark-colored dots remaining on the bond paper after

the removal on the palm of the hands, then there are more active sweat glands present in

that area, therefore producing more sweat.

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Materials/ Apparatus:

· Povidone iodine.

· Four 2 cm x 2cm square pieces of bond paper.

· Tape.

· Paper towel.

· Four cotton balls.

§ Methodology:

1. Obtain a bottle of povidone Iodine.

2. Have subject one do 10 jumping jumps. This light exercise is to activate the sweat

gland and allow for more accurate results.

3. Wash hands with soap and water.

4.Soak a cotton ball with the iodine solution. On the left hand, gently dab the solution onto the

forearm and allow to dry. On the right hand, dab the solution onto the palm of the hand, then

allow to dry. The iodine solution must be completely dry on the skin.

4. After the iodine has dried, place the 2cm x 2cm test paper onto the middle area of the

dried, applied solution.

5. Tape down the bond paper tightly, then allow for the paper to sit about 20 minutes.

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6. Repeat procedure #1-5 for subject two.

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7. Remove the paper. Small, dark coloured dots will become visible to indicate the location

of sweat glands. Label and count the approximate amount of dots visible on each paper removed.

8. Record data in a table.

Variables:

• Independent Variable- iodine on different areas of the arm

• Dependent Variable- number of active sweat glands

• Controlled variable - species, testing area, time

Discussion questions:

Which area tested is expected to have a higher count of sweat glands?

Give a brief explanation for question 1.

Why is it necessary to use bond paper during the experiment?

Why is iodine used on the skin for this experiment?, can another solution be used?

Give one reason as to why the area that produces the least amount of black dots does just

that.

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Data / Results:

Table:

Subjects Average Number of spots Average Number of spots

on Forearm on Palm of hands

Subject 1 151 117

Subject 2 184 105

TABLE SHOWING THE NUMBER OF SPOTS ON BOND PAPER AFTER REMOVAL

IMAGE SHOWING THE MATERIALS USED

IMAGE SHOWING MATERIAL USED

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IMAGES SHOWING THE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER APPLICATION OF

POVIDONE IODINE ON SUBJECT 1

Palm of hand Forearm

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IMAGES SHOWING THE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER APPLICATION OF

POVIDONE IODINE ON SUBJECT 2

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Forearm Palm

Discussion:

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The lab experiment planned and executed was focused on the skin and the sweat glands.

Firstly, The skin is the human body's largest and most vital organ that covers the exterior of

the organism, to act as a form protective barrier against pathogens and injuries from the

environment. Normal processes of the skin include sweating. Sweating is the body’s natural

cooling mechanism that is done in order to release heat from the body, overall ,to regulate

body temperature. Sweating/ Perspiration is caused by activation of sympathetic sudomotor

nerves in eccrine sweat glands in response to release heat. These nerves release acetylcholine,

which interacts with muscarinic cholinergic receptors at the sweat gland and triggers the

action of sweating. Water, salts and other solutes are given off by tiny holes in the skin called

pores. Since sweating is a response to changes in your body temperature, the outside

temperature, or your emotional state, the most common areas of sweating on the body are

armpit, face, palm of hand and the sole of feet. The hypothesis of the lab experiment was

proven to be true based on the data collected. The palm of the hand indeed had a higher count

of black dots on the bond paper after removal, which meant that there were more sweat

glands active, producing more sweat. The palm of the hand is the region with greatest sweat

gland density, which contains 600– 700 sweat glands/cm2.

It was found that both subject 1 and 2 had higher amounts of black dots on the bond paper

removed from the palm of the hands than that of the forearm. Due to the amount of dots, an

average estimate was taken. However, subject 1 had a little more dots on the palm hand bond

paper than subject 2. It can be analysed that both subject 1 and 2 indeed have a high density

of sweat glands in the palm of their hands, however, subject one has a bit more than subject

two. By average, there were significantly more sweat glands in the palm of the hand than the

forearm.

Both Subject 1 and 2 had small amounts of dots on the bond paper removed from the forearm,

when compared to that of the palm of the hand. Subject 2 had a little more dots than subject

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1. Although eccrine glands are located all over the body, the forearm has a less

concentration of these active glands. Normally, the forearm does not sweat as much as the palm

of the hands, but in cases it does occur, the condition is called Hyperhidrosis.

For the starch-iodine test, when the sweat reaches the surface of the skin, the starch of the sweat

and iodine combine, causing a dramatic colour change from yellow to dark blue, allowing sweat

production to be easily visualized. Because the minor’s test gives fast, qualitative results, other

solutions besides iodine may not work in a way that is qualitative. Along with the solution, bond

paper is also necessary during this experiment because it is white, needed in order for the

blue/black dots to be visible and to be able to qualitatively gather results. To close, the minor’s

test can be used medically as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the conditions of too little sweating,

hypohidrosis, and too much sweating hyperhidrosis, which can further lead to Horner's

syndrome. Though sweating can be gross in some cases, without it, our bodies would literally

cook from inside out. Different people sweat differently due to a number of factors such as:

body size, age, muscle mass, health and fitness. Not everyone is the same, hence, don’t

compare! Limitation:

1. Several tests were done due to not receiving results at all.

2. The iodine did not dry well before application of the bond paper, so the experiment had

to be repeated several times.

3. Due to poor camera quality, a picture of the results of the lab, the bond paper, were taken

using Camscanner, with the black and white filter, in order to clearly see the dots.

However, the images are not as clear in the photo as it was in person.

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Source or error:

1. Each individual is different, hence, both subjects may have a different rate at which

they produce sweat after the small workout.

2. After the use of iodine on Subject 1, little bumps were left behind, possibly due to a mild

allergic reaction or the skin’s sensitivity.

3. The quality of the results were poor possibly due to the strength of the Povidone

iodine, since it was not recently bought. It was one that was available at home.

Conclusion:

To conclude, the purpose of this lab, to find out which part of the arm, produces more sweat was

done successfully. The hypothesis was proven to be true as there were a large number of small,

dark-colored dots remaining on the bond paper after the removal on the palm of the hands, which

further means that in that area, there are more active sweat glands present in that area, therefore

producing more sweat. The Minor’s test was tested, investigated and the results were compared

between the two subjects focusing on the forearm and palm of the hands.

It was found that both subject 1 and 2 had higher amounts of black dots on the bond paper

removed from the palm of the hands than that of the forearm. However, subject 1 had a little

more dots on the palm hand bond paper than subject 2. This leads to the conclusion that subject 1

produces more sweat in the arm than subject 2, only by a bit.

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It was expected that the palms would be the area to produce more sweat simply because in any

emergency/ event/trauma, it is the palms and face that get sweaty first. It is rare for the forearm

to sweat a lot except in the case of external factors such as exercise.

Recommendation:

1. Make sure that the solution being used is fresh and at its greatest strength.

2. Be sure to time the experiment. Accurate time set in the procedures is essential.

3. Clean the test area on the skin before application of the solution.

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References

Sweating (Normal Amounts): Causes, Adjustments, and Complications. (n.d.). Healthline.

https://www.healthline.com/health/sweating#causes

Sweat glands. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-

conditions/hyperhidrosis/multimedia/sweat-glands/img-

20007980#:~:text=Your%20skin%20has%20two%20types

Sweat Gland Distribution Lab. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2021, from

www.aurumscience.com website:

https://www.aurumscience.com/anatomy/4_integumentary/sweatglands.html

Anatomy of the Skin | SEER Training. (n.d.). Training.seer.cancer.gov.

https://training.seer.cancer.gov/melanoma/anatomy/#:~:text=The%20skin%20is%20a%20v

ital

The Science of Sweat: Why Some People Perspire More. (n.d.). Www.henryford.com.

https://www.henryford.com/blog/2019/09/science-of-sweat-why-some-people-perspire-

more#:~:text=When%20your%20body%20temperature%20rises

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Appendix:

Figure 1- Distribution of the sweat glands throughout the body

Figure 2- Distribution of the sweat glands throughout the body

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Figure 3- Figure showing the parts of the skin

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Table 1- Table of Regional distributions of physiologically active eccrine sweat glands, skin

surface areas, gland counts and glandular dimensions.

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