What is the difference between merocrine and apocrine?

1 Answer
Harsh
May 13, 2016

Merocrine secretion - cells secrete their product through exocytosis and remain intact after secretion (digestive juices)

Apocrine secretion - cells secrete their product by destroying their apex membrane so that the product flows out of the cell into the excretion duct; after secretion the cell regenerates its apex membrane (mammary gland)
There is also another way - holocrine secretion in which the entire cell is destroyed in order to release the product (sebaceous glands)

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