scent gland
| Dictionary: scent gland |
n.
A specialized apocrine gland found in many mammals that produces a strong-smelling substance.
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| Sci-Tech Encyclopedia: Scent gland |
A specialized skin gland of the tubuloalveolar or acinous variety found in many mammals. These glands produce substances having peculiar odors. In some instances they are large, in others small. Examples of large glands are the civet gland in the civet cat, the musk gland in the musk deer, and the castoreum gland in the beaver. The civet gland is an anal gland, whereas the musk and castoreum are preputial. Examples of small scent glands are the preputial or Tyson's glands in the human male which secrete the smegma, and the vulval glands in the female. The secretions in all of the above glands are sebaceous. See also Gland.
| Wikipedia: Scent gland |
Scent glands are found in the genital area of most mammals and in various other parts of the body, such as the underarms of humans and the preorbital glands of deer. They produce a semi-viscous fluid which contains pheromones. These odor-messengers indicate information such as status, territory marking, mood, and sexual power. The odor may be subliminal, not consciously detectable.
Scent glands include:
- apocrine glands, such as in the armpits of humans
- sebaceous glands, such as the tarsal glands of deer or cranial surface glands of the Red-bellied Lemur
- flank glands, such as in voles or shrews
- pockets, such as the preorbital gland
- anal scent glands, found in most carnivores and some other mammals
- castor sacs, found in beavers
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 | castoreum gland (vertebrate zoology) |
| vulval gland (anatomy) |
| civet gland (vertebrate zoology) |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Sci-Tech Encyclopedia. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Scent gland". Read more |
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Mentioned in
- castoreum gland (vertebrate zoology)
- vulval gland (anatomy)
- civet gland (vertebrate zoology)
- Tyson's gland (anatomy)
- muntjac, muntjak
- Gerridae (invertebrate zoology)
- musk gland (vertebrate zoology)
- Uropygial gland (anatomy)
- Civet (mammalia)
- honey badger (carnivore)
- polecat (mammal, carnivore)
- Blue morpho
- musk (material – in zoology)
- Deer (mammalia)
