Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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]
The female adult breast contains 14–18 irregular lactiferous lobes that converge at the nipple. The 2.0–4.5 mm milk ducts are immediately surrounded with dense connective tissue that support the glands. Milk exits the breast through the nipple, which is surrounded by a pigmented area of skin called the areola.
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.
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.
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 ...
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.
The number and positioning of mammary glands and teats varies widely among mammals. The protruding teats and accompanying glands can be located anywhere along the two milk lines. In general, most mammals develop mammary glands in pairs along these lines, with a number approximating the number of young typically birthed at a time.