What type of epithelium lines the ducts of sweat glands?

• A. Stratified cuboidal epithelium
• B. Simple cuboidal epithelium
• C. Simple squamous epithelium
• D. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium

Answer: (A)

Ducts of sweat glands are lined by stratified cuboidal epithelium. This means the duct is built from more than one layer of cube-shaped cells, which provides the sturdy, multi-layered lining needed to transport sweat from the secretory portion to the skin surface. In eccrine sweat glands, the secretory units are typically simple cuboidal, but as the duct forms and carries fluid outward, the epithelium adopts a stratified cuboidal arrangement to create a defined ductal channel.

Simple cuboidal would be a single layer, which isn’t sufficient for the duct structure. Simple squamous lines thin barriers such as blood vessels and air sacs, not gland ducts. Pseudostratified columnar looks multi-layered but is composed of columnar cells with nuclei at different levels and is characteristic of airways, not sweat duct lining. Stratified squamous would be multi-layered but made of flat cells, suitable for protective surfaces, not the cuboidal-duct lining seen in sweat glands.