What is the difference between production and secretion?

Answer 1

'Production' is a manufacturing process while 'Secretion' is a release process. For instance, bile, which is required for the digestion of fats and oil in the GI tract is 'produces' by the liver but is 'secreted' by the gall bladder. This is because when the liver cells produce bile, it gets stored in the gall bladder. Presence of fatty foods in the gut then stimulates its release (secretion). Most organs, however, combine functions of production and release simultaneously but any organ that secretes is better refered to as a 'gland'.

- J. B. DAVIS

Answer 2

A secretion is a chemical (or mixture of chemicals) deliberately released from a cell or gland for a specific biological purpose. Sweat is a secretion: it cools the body and helps get rid of excess salt. Tears, breast milk and stomach juices are other examples of secretion.

A discharge is a mix of chemicals produced as a by-product of a biochemical reaction. Rheum (eye gunk), the mix of dust, fluids and dead cells that flows from the eyes during sleep and dries into a hard crust by morning, is an example of a discharge. Nasal mucus (snot), throat mucus (phlegm), and acne are other examples of a discharge.

Many discharges are an attempt by the body to remove waste material before it builds up to harmful or toxic levels. For example, the pustules that are the hallmark of acne are a build-up of excess oil and dead skin cells in the sweat glands; at normal levels, they would be a secretion, but at those levels they become a discharge.

Answer 3

Production refers to the creation or synthesis of a substance within a cell or organism, while secretion is the process by which that substance is released or expelled from the cell or organism. In other words, production is the making of a substance, while secretion is the releasing of that substance.