Why do people sweat?

Humans have a fairly rare ability to sweat, which allows them to excrete a salty liquid in order to cool the skin. This is essential to sustain endurance activities without overheating.

Sweating, also called perspiration, is created by glands in the skin called sweat glands. Humans are capable of sweating between 67 and 135 ounces liters of water in a single hour. The amount of sweat a person secretes depends on a wide variety of genetic factors as well as the amount of body stored in the water. Other animals, such as horses and most primates, also possess a limited ability to perspire, but only horses primarily do it to control temperature.