Today's useless fact -
Why do people sweat, and why does it smell?
Scentists know that sweating is a cooling mechanism that keeps us
from overheating, but they don't know why we sweat instead of
cooling down in other ways. Other animals have sweat glands, but
most of them go almost entirely unused because the animals have
developed different methods to cool their blood and regulate
their body temperature. Rabbits, for instance, rush blood through
their ears to cool their body. Dogs pant. Some animals wallow in
mud or water, and still others urinate on their legs.
Humans release two substances from over two million sweat glands
in the skin, which tends to attract bacteria that smell bad. The
explanation that seems most likely comes from the famous
anthropologist Louis Leakey, His theory is that humans once used
body odor as marking for their territory and to ward off
predators. Eventually humans learned to defend themselves with
weapons, but the strong smell lingered on.
Now human smell tends to ward off other humans, as well as
anything else with a nose. As a result, societies have engaged in
the war against body odor. Early weapons include perfumes, herbal
concoctions, and sometimes even bathing. Late in the 19th
century, scientists developed antibacterial solutions
that killed germs growing in the armpits or on the feet, and in
the 20th century, along came sweat-blocking agents called
antiperspirants. So far, these substances are the most suc
cessful solutions to B.O. in the course of human history. Until
we come up with something else or evolve out of our sweat glands,
they'll just have to do.
Scentists know that sweating is a cooling mechanism that keeps us
from overheating, but they don't know why we sweat instead of
cooling down in other ways. Other animals have sweat glands, but
most of them go almost entirely unused because the animals have
developed different methods to cool their blood and regulate
their body temperature. Rabbits, for instance, rush blood through
their ears to cool their body. Dogs pant. Some animals wallow in
mud or water, and still others urinate on their legs.
Humans release two substances from over two million sweat glands
in the skin, which tends to attract bacteria that smell bad. The
explanation that seems most likely comes from the famous
anthropologist Louis Leakey, His theory is that humans once used
body odor as marking for their territory and to ward off
predators. Eventually humans learned to defend themselves with
weapons, but the strong smell lingered on.
Now human smell tends to ward off other humans, as well as
anything else with a nose. As a result, societies have engaged in
the war against body odor. Early weapons include perfumes, herbal
concoctions, and sometimes even bathing. Late in the 19th
century, scientists developed antibacterial solutions
that killed germs growing in the armpits or on the feet, and in
the 20th century, along came sweat-blocking agents called
antiperspirants. So far, these substances are the most suc
cessful solutions to B.O. in the course of human history. Until
we come up with something else or evolve out of our sweat glands,
they'll just have to do.
Charles Mims
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