udskille

Udskille is a Danish verb meaning to secrete or to excrete substances from cells, tissues, or organs. In biology it describes the release of materials produced by an organism, which can be waste products removed from the body or useful substances delivered to a particular site.

In technical contexts the term is often contrasted with sekretion. Udskillelse broadly refers to the discharge of substances, whereas sekretion denotes the regulated production and release of substances such as enzymes, hormones, or mucus. Substances can be excreted to body surfaces or digestive tracts, released into the bloodstream, or discharged into ducts or lumens.

Examples include the kidneys udskiller urine, the liver udskiller bile, and sweat glands udskiller sweat. Endocrine glands udskiller hormoner into the bloodstream, while plants can udskille essential oils or resins via secretory tissues. In everyday use, udskille can describe both excretion and secretion, with sekretion often preferred for deliberate production and release of substances by glands or cells.

Etymology: the word combines ud- meaning “out” with skille meaning “to separate” or “to divide.” It is attested in Danish from medieval times and has been established in scientific language since the 19th century.