<P> Ceruminous glands are specialized sudoriferous glands (sweat glands) located subcutaneously in the external auditory canal, in the outer 1 / 3 . Ceruminous glands are simple, coiled, tubular glands made up of an inner secretory layer of cells and an outer myoepithelial layer of cells . They are classed as apocrine glands . The glands drain into larger ducts, which then drain into the guard hairs that reside in the external auditory canal . Here they produce cerumen, or earwax, by mixing their secretion with sebum and dead epidermal cells . Cerumen keeps the eardrum pliable, lubricates and cleans the external auditory canal, waterproofs the canal, kills bacteria, and serves as a barrier to trap foreign particles (dust, fungal spores, etc .) by coating the guard hairs of the ear, making them sticky . </P> <P> These glands are capable of developing both benign and malignant tumors . The benign tumors include ceruminous adenoma, ceruminous pleomorphic adenoma, and ceruminous syringocystadenoma papilliferum . The malignant tumors include ceruminous adenocarcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma . </P>

The substance secreted by the glands in the external auditory canal is