Organs in the body that produce and secrete substances such as hormones, enzymes, or other fluids. They can be endocrine (secreting into bloodstream) or exocrine (secreting through ducts).
From Latin glandula, diminutive of glans meaning 'acorn,' referring to the acorn-like shape of certain glands like lymph nodes. The anatomical term entered English in the 14th century through medical Latin texts.
Your body contains over 75 different types of glands, from tiny sebaceous glands that keep your skin moisturized to the massive liver which performs over 500 functions. The pineal gland was once thought to be the seat of the soul by philosopher René Descartes due to its central location in the brain.
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