01 / Location & anatomical relationships
On the front of the chest, over the chest muscles.
02 / Structure & organization
Mammary tissue includes lobes, smaller lobules and a duct system opening at the nipple. Fat and fibrous connective tissue contribute to shape and support. Glandular development and activity respond to hormonal conditions.
03 / Function
Mammary glands can make milk after pregnancy.
04 / Mechanism
Fat and connective tissue give support around gland tissue and ducts. Hormones influence development during puberty and pregnancy. When milk is produced, ducts carry it toward openings at the nipple.
Working together: reproductive system
Bodies develop in different ways. During puberty, hormones help reproductive organs mature. A pregnancy can begin when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, and development continues in the uterus.
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Connect structure with function
Milk synthesis and milk ejection are different processes, associated especially with prolactin and oxytocin respectively. Breast size alone does not indicate glandular function.
Check your understanding
Locate the breasts in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.