Answer
The diagnostic difference between a simple multicelluar gland, and a compound multicellular gland is that the in the former type there is always a single unbranched duct. In contrast, compound multicellular exocrine glands all have branched ducts.
Work Step by Step
There are several types of simple multicellular exocrine glands. Some are simple tubular, some are simple branched tubular, some are coiled, and some have complex branching and acinar cells. These branching simple types tend to get confused with compounds glands. However, the criterion for differentiation is the form of the duct-- whether it is a single and unbranced, or branched, All glands with a single unbranched duct are simple ; glands with branched ducts are compound, by definition.
