Perspiration is the production of a fluid consisting primarily of water as well as various dissolved solids (chiefly chlorides), that is excreted by the sweat gland

Sweat gland

Sweat glands, or sudoriferous glands, are small tubular structures of the skin that produce sweat. There are two kinds of sweat glands:...

s in the skin

Skin

-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...

 of mammal

Mammal

Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...

s. Sweat contains the chemicals or odorants 2-methylphenol

Cresol

Cresols are organic compounds which are methylphenols. They are a widely occurring natural and manufactured group of aromatic organic compounds which are categorized as phenols . Depending on the temperature, cresols can be solid or liquid because they have melting points not far from room...

 (o-cresol) and 4-methylphenol

P-Cresol

p-Cresol, also 4-methylphenol, is a phenol, with formula C6H4.It is a positional isomer; the other two are m-cresol and o-cresol. P-cresol is a major component in pig odor. . For more information see cresol. 4-methylphenol is a component in human sweat. It is a component of human odour attractive...

 (p-cresol), as well as a small amount of urea

Urea

Urea or carbamide is an organic compound with the chemical formula CO2. The molecule has two —NH2 groups joined by a carbonyl functional group....

.

In human

Human

Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

s, sweating is primarily a means of thermoregulation

Thermoregulation

Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different...

, although it has been proposed that components of male sweat can act as pheromonal

Pheromone

A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...

 cues.