Earwax protects the ear by trapping dust, debris, and microorganisms while also moisturizing the ear canal to prevent dryness and irritation. It also can give insight into your ancestry, reveal medical conditions, and contribute to stinky body odor.
"The wax is secreted by modified apocrine glands, which are the same glands that release sweat," NOVA reports. "Bacteria are attracted to apocrine sweat, releasing a pungent smell when they devour it and causing body odor. And people with wet-type earwax tend to be smellier, suggesting the two have to do with each other."
There are two main types of earwax: Sticky yellow-brown earwax is found mostly in folks of Caucasian or African descent, while people of East Asian decent have lighter, flakier earwax.
"These different earwax types are caused by different variants of the same gene," NOVA explains. "The wet-type is likely the original form, and scientists believe the dry-type evolved in the population of early humans who migrated to northern and eastern Asia.
Previously:
• These weird headphones are for cleaning out ear wax
• How to clean the earwax out of AirPods
• Scientist analyzes the chemical composition of his ear wax
