Which gland begins in the dermis, extends into the epidermis, and excretes sweat?

• A. Hair follicles
• B. Sebaceous glands
• C. Sudoriferous glands
• D. Skin pores

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is about glands that produce sweat and how they’re positioned in the skin. Sudoriferous glands, or sweat glands, begin in the dermis and grow ducts that pass through the dermis and epidermis to open at the skin surface, where sweat is excreted. Hair follicles are structures that extend from the epidermis into the dermis and are involved with hair production; they’re not sweat glands. Sebaceous glands secrete sebum to lubricate hair and skin and open into hair follicles, not to the skin surface as sweat. Skin pores are simply openings on the surface through which sweat or oil exits, not glands themselves. So the gland that fits this description is sudoriferous glands.