Check out this answer from Consensus:
While sweating water is not uniquely human, the extensive network of eccrine sweat glands and their role in thermoregulation is a distinctive feature of humans. The composition of human sweat, including the presence of nucleic acids, further underscores the complexity and potential utility of sweat in health monitoring. Further research is needed to fully understand the non-thermoregulatory roles of sweat and its potential applications in medical diagnostics.
Sweating is a physiological process that plays a crucial role in thermoregulation and maintaining homeostasis in humans. This article explores whether the act of sweating water is a unique characteristic of humans or if it is shared with other species. By examining the physiology of sweat gland function and the composition of sweat, we aim to understand the distinctiveness of human sweating.
Physiology of Sweat Gland Function
Sweat glands are specialized structures in the skin responsible for the production and excretion of sweat. There are three types of sweat glands: eccrine, apocrine, and sebaceous glands. Eccrine glands are the most abundant and are primarily responsible for thermoregulatory sweating, producing a water-based fluid in response to heat, emotion, and physical activity1. Apocrine glands, on the other hand, produce oily fluids and are associated with hair follicles, while sebaceous glands secrete waxy sebum.
Thermoregulatory Functions
The primary function of eccrine sweat glands is to regulate body temperature through the evaporation of sweat from the skin surface. This process helps to dissipate excess heat and maintain a stable internal temperature. Unlike other excretory systems such as the kidneys, sweat glands do not conserve water loss or concentrate sweat fluid through vasopressin-mediated water reabsorption1. This unique mechanism highlights the importance of sweating in human thermoregulation.
Sweat Composition
Human sweat is composed mainly of water, with small amounts of electrolytes, metabolites, and other substances. Studies have shown that sweat contains nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA, which are associated with extracellular vesicles (EVs)2. The presence of these nucleic acids in sweat opens up possibilities for using sweat as a source of biomarkers for specific health parameters.
Comparative Analysis with Other Species
While sweating is a common mechanism for thermoregulation in humans, it is not unique to our species. Many mammals, such as horses and primates, also possess sweat glands and utilize sweating to regulate their body temperature. However, the distribution and density of sweat glands vary among species. For instance, dogs and cats have fewer sweat glands and rely more on panting for thermoregulation.
Is sweating water uniquely human?
Travis Hagey has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from Mississippi University for Women in Evolutionary Biology, Biomechanics
I’m afraid the article you read is incorrect. Other animals (mammals) do sweat, especially other primates and horses. Here is a similar questions being discussed on Quora with lots of good responses. Here is another article from a gorilla conservation group talking about gorilla armpit sweat glands and how they use them to communicate.
Simply google “horse sweat” to see lots of images of sweaty horses.