Question

A nurse is providing care to a client who has been admitted to the healthcare facility with a cyst in the sebaceous gland on the chest. When obtaining the client's history, the client asks, "What do these sebaceous glands do?" Which of the following would the nurse incorporate into the response?

a) Contribute to a characteristic body odor
b) Lubricate outer layer of skin
c) Produce melanin responsible for skin pigmentation
d) Transport sweat to the outer skin surface

Answer 1

b) Lubricate outer layer of skin. Sebaceous glands produce sebum, which lubricates and moisturizes the outer layer of the skin, preventing water loss and inhibiting microbial growth on the skin.

Step-by-step explanation:

In response to the question regarding the function of sebaceous glands, the most accurate answer would be that they lubricate the outer layer of skin. Sebaceous glands are a type of oil gland located all over the body and are primarily associated with hair follicles. These glands produce and secrete an oily substance called sebum, which is a blend of lipids. Sebum is crucial as it moisturizes the dry, dead layer of keratinized cells of the stratum corneum, keeping the skin supple.

Sebum has multiple benefits: it waterproofs and lubricates both the hair and skin, inhibits the growth of microorganisms on the skin due to its antibacterial properties, and prevents water loss from the skin in environments with low humidity. The production of sebum is stimulated by hormones that generally increase in activity during puberty, making these glands less active during childhood. Hence, in providing care for a patient with a sebaceous gland cyst, the nurse would incorporate that sebaceous glands lubricate the outer layer of the skin, option b), as the informative piece of their response.