In females, the breasts form the secondary sexual features, providing nutrition for the newborn.

Anatomy of the female breast — OpenStax — CC BY-SA 4.0

Location

  • The breasts lie within the superficial fascia
  • The base extends from the 2nd-3rd to the 6th rib, and in the transverse plane from the sternal edge medially almost to the midaxillary line laterally

A small process extends from the breast towards the axillary fossa called the axillary tail or the tail of Spence.

Description

  • The greatest prominence of the surface of the breast is the nipple, surrounded by a circular pigmented area of skin, the areola
    • The nipple is the opening of the lactiferous sinuses for the ejection of breast milk
  • The most important constituents of the breasts are the mammary glands which are located in the subcutaneous tissue
    • There are 3 other types of glands that can be found in the breasts:
      • Sweat glands
      • Sebaceous glands
      • Montgomery glands — Provide protection to the nipple
    • The initial breast milk is

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