Final answer:
Sweat glands contain cholinergic receptors, specifically muscarinic receptors, which respond to acetylcholine released by sympathetic nerve fibers. The correct answer to the student's question is A) cholinergic receptors. Sweat glands produce and secrete sweat to help regulate body temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sweat glands contain cholinergic receptors, specifically muscarinic receptors. These receptors respond to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), which is released from sympathetic nerve fibers in an exceptional case where the sympathetic nervous system does not use norepinephrine. Therefore, the presence of ACh triggers the sweat glands to produce and secrete sweat. The correct answer to the question is A) cholinergic receptors.
Sweat glands do not have alpha or beta receptors, which are typically found in other parts of the body and respond to norepinephrine. The sweat glands' primary function is to help regulate body temperature and excrete certain wastes through the secretion of sweat, which is a watery solution consisting mainly of water and salts. They are distributed throughout the skin, with eccrine glands being found all over the body, producing watery sweat, and apocrine glands located in specific areas and activated during emotional stress.