Definition of Breast
Breast: The breast refers to the front of the chest
or, more specifically, to the mammary gland. The mammary gland is a
milk producing gland. It is composed largely of fat. Within the
mammary gland is a complex network of branching ducts. These ducts
exit from sac-like structures called lobules, which can produce milk
in females. The ducts exit the breast at the nipple.
The breast has been viewed as an organ designed to produce milk.
The lobules are the glands that produce the breast milk. The ducts
are tubes or channels which transport the milk from these glands out
to the nipple. The nipple becomes erect because of cold, breast
feeding and sexual activity. The pigmented area around the nipple is
called the areola.
The lobules and ducts are supported in the breast by surrounding
fatty tissue and ligaments. There are no muscles in the breast.
There are blood vessels and lymphatics in the breast. The
lymphatics are thin channels similar to blood vessels; they do not
carry blood but collect and carry tissue fluid which ultimately
reenters the blood stream. Breast tissue fluid drains through the
lymphatics into the lymph nodes located in the underarm (axilla) and
behind the breast bone (sternum).
Although the primary biologic function of the breast is to make
milk to feed a baby, the breast has for many centuries been a symbol
of femininity and beauty. The appearance of the normal female breast
differs greatly between individuals and at different times during a
woman's life -- before, during and after adolescence, during
pregnancy, during the menstrual cycle, and after menopause.
Picture of the anatomy of the breast
Last Editorial Review: 3/26/1998 2:24:00 PM
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