Svette

Svette is the watery secretion produced by sweat glands in mammals, including humans. It plays a central role in thermoregulation, helping to cool the body as the liquid evaporates from the skin. In humans, sweat is mostly water but also contains electrolytes such as sodium and chloride, along with small amounts of potassium, urea, lactate, and trace minerals and organic compounds. The fluid is typically colorless and odorless; body odor arises when skin bacteria metabolize certain components of sweat.

Two main types of sweat glands contribute to svette: eccrine glands, which are widely distributed across the skin with high densities on the palms, soles, and forehead, and apocrine glands, found mainly in the armpits and groin. Eccrine sweat is primarily for cooling, while apocrine sweat is thicker and often associated with odor when broken down by bacteria.

Sweating is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The hypothalamus and other brain regions regulate body temperature and emotional states, activating cholinergic nerves that stimulate sweat production. Factors such as ambient temperature, physical activity, fever, stress, and certain medical conditions influence sweating patterns. Sweat rate and composition can vary with age, fitness, and hydration status.

Clinical aspects include conditions such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and anhidrosis (lack of sweating). Treatments for hyperhidrosis range from topical agents and iontophoresis to botulinum toxin injections and, in some cases, surgical options.svette thus reflects a physiological mechanism essential for heat management and skin homeostasis, with variations influenced by biology and environment.