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A mammary gland is an exocrine gland in humans and other mammals that produces milk to feed young offspring.Mammals get their name from the Latin word mamma, "breast".The mammary glands are arranged in organs such as the breasts in primates (for example, humans and chimpanzees), the udder in ruminants (for example, cows, goats, sheep, and deer), and the dugs of other animals (for example, dogs ...
The mammary ridge is primordial for the mammary glands on the chest in humans, and is associated with mammary gland and breast development.. In human embryogenesis, the mammary ridge usually appears as a narrow, microscopic ectodermal thickening during the first seven weeks of pregnancy and grows caudally as a narrow, linear ridge. [1]
Lactiferous ducts are ducts that converge and form a branched system connecting the nipple to the lobules of the mammary gland.When lactogenesis occurs, under the influence of hormones, the milk is moved to the nipple by the action of smooth muscle contractions along the ductal system to the tip of the nipple.
The milk-glands-to-fat ratio is 2:1 in a lactating woman, and 1:1 in a non-lactating woman. In addition to the milk glands, the breast is also composed of connective tissues (collagen, elastin), white fat, and the suspensory Cooper's ligaments.
Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process naturally occurs with all sexually mature female mammals, although it may predate mammals. [1] The process of feeding milk in all female creatures is called nursing, and in humans it is also called ...
The nipple is a raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast from which, in lactating females, milk from the mammary gland leaves the body through the lactiferous ducts to nurse an infant. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The milk can flow through the nipple passively, or it can be ejected by smooth muscle contractions that occur along with the ductal system.
Breast milk (sometimes spelled as breastmilk) or mother's milk is milk produced by the mammary glands in the breasts of women. Breast milk is the primary source of nutrition for newborn infants , comprising fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and a varying composition of minerals and vitamins.
A mammary alveolus (pl.: alveoli, from Latin alveolus, "little cavity") is a small cavity or sac found in the mammary gland. [1] [2] Mammary alveoli are the site of milk production and storage in the mammary gland. [1] [2] Mammary alveoli cluster into groups called mammary lobules, and each breast may contain 15 to 20 of these lobules.