Pores

[ik]

Buenos dias.

What do our human pores secrete?

[Glider]

Sebum and water mainly.

[DrDNA]

That depends......

Are you refering to some molecular level pores like the ones on nuclear membranes (which transport nucleic acids, ribosomes, enzymes, other proteins, carbos, signal molecules, lipids, and other stuff), other pores on other cellular membranes, or the relatively "big" pores that reside on your outer layer skin....the ones that get clogged and cause black heads (which secret various waste products, salts, water and sebum or sebacious oils that Glider mentioned- which includs lipids, triglycerides and free fatty acids, wax esters, squalene, and cholesterol , etc?)

[ik]

I was referring to skin pores, and you just listed a bunch of things I've never heard of, so

thank you.

Going to go look them up.

[CPL.Luke]

why do we have pores anyway?

[John Cuthber]

In order to secrete water and sebum.

[insane_alien]

it's a phase change cooling system.

[Sisyphus]

In order to secrete water and sebum.

 

More specifically, the water cools us by absorbing the energy needed for evaporation, and the sebum forms a protective layer that keeps the skin waterproof, prevents it from drying out, and inhibits bacterial growth.