Forget droplets. Here’s how sweat really forms

cell: (in biology) The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. Typically too small to see with the unaided eye, it consists of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall. Depending on their size, animals are made of anywhere from thousands to trillions of cells. Most organisms, such as yeasts, molds, bacteria and some algae, are composed of only one cell.

colleague: Someone who works with another; a co-worker or team member.

conductive: Able to carry an electric current.

develop: To emerge or to make come into being, either naturally or through human intervention, such as by manufacturing.

electricity: A flow of charge, usually from the movement of negatively charged particles, called electrons.

engineer: A person who uses science and math to solve problems. As a verb, to engineer means to design a device, material or process that will solve some problem or unmet need.

evaporate: To turn from liquid into vapor.

fabric: Any flexible material that is woven, knitted or can be fused into a sheet by heat or compression and drying.

fluid mechanics: The study of the properties of fluids (liquids and gases) and their reactions to the forces acting upon them under various conditions.

gland: A cell, a group of cells or an organ that produces and discharges a substance (or “secretion”) for use elsewhere in the body or in a body cavity, or for elimination from the body.

micro: A prefix for fractional units of measurement, here referring to millionths in the international metric system.

pore: A tiny hole in a surface. On the skin, substances such as oil, water and sweat pass through these openings.

salt: A compound made by combining an acid with a base (in a reaction that also creates water). The ocean contains many different salts — collectively called “sea salt.” Common table salt is a made of sodium and chlorine.

sponge: Something that sops up liquids or other materials and holds them until squeezed out or removed in some other way.

surface area: The area of some material’s surface. In general, smaller materials and ones with rougher or more convoluted surfaces have a greater exterior surface area — per unit mass — than larger items or ones with smoother exteriors. That becomes important when chemical, biological or physical processes occur on a surface.