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Two samples of human breast milk. The sample on the left is the first milk produced by the mother, while the sample on the right was produced later during the same breast pumping cycle. Breast milk (sometimes spelled as breastmilk) or mother's milk is milk produced by the mammary glands in the breasts of women.
When the milk supply is more firmly established, autocrine (or local) control system begins. During this stage, the more that milk is removed from the breasts, the more the breast will produce milk. [9] [10] Research also suggests that draining the breasts more fully also increases the rate of milk production. [11]
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.
[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. [1] [2] The lobules drain milk through the lactiferous ducts out of the nipples. [1] [2]
The maturation of alveolar cells is supported by white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue in breast, preparing the alveoli for milk synthesis during lactation. [13] The growth of ductal epithelium is stimulated by leptin, [3] a hormone secreted by mature breast fatty tissue, to make the milk ducts ready for the passage of milk.
Breast milk supply augments in response to the baby's demand for milk, and decreases when milk is allowed to remain in the breasts. [ 10 ] : 18–21 [ 10 ] : 27–34 [ 22 ] [ 10 ] : 72–80 [ 117 ] When considering a possibly low milk supply, it is important to consider the difference between "perceived low milk supply" and "true low milk supply".
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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 ...