Nipple (Breast)

What is the breast?

The breast generally refers to the front of the

chest and medically specifically to the

mammary gland.
(The word "mammary" comes from "mamma," the Greek

and Latin word for the breast, which derives from the
cry
"mama" uttered by infants and young children, sometimes
 meaning "I want to feed at the breast.")

How is the mammary gland designed?

The mammary gland is a milk-producing structure that is

composed largely of fat cells (cells capable of storing
fat).
 The fat deposits are laid down in the breast
under the influence of the female
 hormone

estrogen. Just as the
surge of

estrogens at adolescence
encourages
 this process, androgens, such as

testosterone, discourage
it.
Within the mammary gland there is a complex network

of branching ducts (tubes or channels). These ducts
exit from sac-like structures called lobules.
The lobules in the breast are the glands that can
produce milk in
females when they receive the appropriate hormonal
stimulation.
The breast ducts transport milk from the lobules out to
the nipple.
The ducts exit from the breast at the nipple.



Picture of the anatomy of the breast

How are human breasts different from those of other
primates?

Human breasts function somewhat differently than those
of
 other primates. In other primates, the breasts
grow only when the
 female is producing milk (lactating). When the
non-human primate
 female has weaned her young, her breasts flatten
back down. In
humans, the breasts develop at adolescence usually well
before
 any

pregnancy has occurred
and the breasts stay enlarged throughout the remainder of life.