biomedicalephemera:

Top: Primary mammary blood vessels, deep tissue of nipple, outer nipple and areola

Bottom: Lymphatic supply to breast, vertical view of mammary duct exit, lactiferous ducts

The human breast is an odd organ, even among mammals. It is significantly developed even before pregnancy, while most mammals develop only the ductal regions (the nipple and its connecting supply) prior to parturition, and its variance between individuals can be massive.

The lactiferous ducts are the smallest units of the lactation (milk-supplying) system of the breast, and the epithelial cells within them extract the nutrients and liquid from the lymphatic and circulatory system when they’re triggered by the hormone prolactin, which is secreted both in response to labor and from suckling. Though the massive dose of prolactin from late-term pregnancy and giving birth is what kick-starts milk production, the suckling action is what keeps it going. In some humans (even some males), the prolactin secretion in response to sustained suckling is enough to begin producing milk, themselves.

Atlas d’Anatomie Descriptive du Corps Humain. C. Bonamy and Paul Broca, 1866.

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