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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 ...
During both of these periods, progesterone levels are high. Because the hormonal profile of a pregnant female and a female in diestrus are the same, sometimes a non-pregnant female will go through a period of pseudopregnancy. At that time she may gain weight, have mammary gland development, produce milk, and exhibit nesting behaviours. 4.
Breast development, also known as mammogenesis, is a complex biological process in primates that takes place throughout a female's life. It occurs across several phases, including prenatal development, puberty, and pregnancy. At menopause, breast development ceases and the breasts atrophy.
Progesterone induces formation of tertiary side-branches in the mammary glands during puberty and during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle upon which lobuloalveolar structures form under the influence of prolactin. Prolactin stimulates lactogenesis. [16] [17]
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]
Branching morphogenesis is also evident in the ductal formation of the mammary gland. [23] [17] Primitive duct formation begins in development, but the branching formation of the duct system begins later in response to estrogen during puberty and is further refined in line with mammary gland development. [17] [24] [25]
Prolactin receptor activation is essential for normal mammary gland development during puberty in mice. [41] Adult virgin female prolactin receptor knockout mice have much smaller and less developed mammary glands than their wild-type counterparts. [ 41 ]
One important type of parental care is the use of the mammary glands in the female breasts to nurse the baby. [ 4 ] The female reproductive system has two functions: The first is to produce egg cells, and the second is to protect and nourish the offspring until birth.