Myoepithelial cells wrap their arms around tiny glands like a hand around a water balloon. When they squeeze, out comes sweat, tears, or spit!
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Myoepithelial cells (MY-oh-ep-ih-THEE-lee-ul) are shaped a bit like stars or spiders, with long arms.
They wrap around tiny glands, which are little sacs and tubes that make liquids. You can find them around sweat glands, tear glands, and spit (saliva) glands.
A gland fills up with the liquid it makes. Then the myoepithelial cells squeeze, like hands squeezing a sponge.
That pushes the liquid out through a tiny tube to where it is needed: sweat onto your skin, tears onto your eyes, and spit into your mouth.
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Squeeze the gland. Then try this: think about biting into a sour lemon. Does your mouth get watery? Your spit glands are getting to work!
You have millions of tiny sweat glands in your skin. Myoepithelial cells help squeeze sweat out of them.
By SciShow Kids. A fun video for kids.
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