Question

What substance do the ceruminous glands lining the auditory glands produce?

Answer 1

Hint: Ceruminous glands are simple, coiled, tubular glands made up of an inner secretory layer of cells and an outer myo-epithelial layer of cells and are classed as apocrine glands. The glands drain into larger ducts, which then drain into the guard hairs that reside in the external auditory canal of the human ear.

Complete answer:
Ear has the external opening through which various microbial invasions can occur therefore to prevent this the ceruminous glands in the skin of the human external auditory canal are modified apocrine glands, which together with sebaceous glands, produce the cerumen, the ear wax.

Therefore cerumen plays an important role in the protection of the ear canal against physical damage and microbial invasions. Various antimicrobial and cytoskeletal components of the ceruminous glands were investigated by immunohistochemical methods. Numerous antimicrobial proteins and peptides are present in the ceruminous glandular cells these include: beta-defensin-1, beta-defensin-2, cathelicidin, lysozyme, lactoferrin, MUC1, secretory component of IgA antibody which lines mucosal lining in various body cavities. These data indicate a crucial role in the innate host defense against diverse pathogens present in the ear.

The apocrine secretion mechanism is a special mode of secretion by which the apical part of the cell along with cytoplasm surrounded by a membrane is pinched off. It is proved that the presence of actin filaments, CK 19 and CK 7, seems to play a role in the pinching-off mechanism. There is also secretion of lipid vesicles from the ceruminous glands.

Thus the answer to the above question is ceruminous glands or wax glands produce cerumen or wax.

Note: There are two types of cerumen, wet and dry, with the consistent absence of ear wax in infected ear canals was regarded as a hint for its antibacterial properties and the consistent absence of ear wax in infected ear canals was regarded as a hint for its antibacterial properties.