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Azza Abul-Fadl, Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh, Maha Hoteit, Mahmoud Bozo
International Textbook of Breastfeeding, Infant and Young Child Feeding: From Evidence to Policy and Action
The glandular, ductal, connective, and adipose tissues of the human breast make up the breast (Figure 1.1). The mammary gland is the breast's functional unit. It is a tree-like structure of epithelial ducts surrounded by adipose tissue. The quantity of fat in the breast determines its size, not the glandular tissue which is similar in all women. Connective tissue holds the glandular and adipose tissues together, particularly Cooper's ligaments that connect the breast to the dermis of the overlaying skin (Zhu, W., & Nelson, C. M., 2013). As for the glandular tissue, there are 15–20 lobes in it. Each lobe is subdivided into several smaller lobules, which are clusters of alveoli containing mammary secretory epithelial cells. There are 3 types of lobules, type 1, 2, and 3 which form at different stages in a woman's development. Lobules increase progressively in number and size, and by the end of pregnancy, the breast is composed almost entirely of lobules separated by small amounts of the stroma. Only with the onset of pregnancy does the breast become completely mature and functional. These lobules converge beneath the nipple, widening into milk reservoirs before narrowing and emerging as tiny holes at the nipple's summit. Around the nipple, there is a circular disk of roughened pigmented skin, which is known as areola, with circular and radiating muscles that cause the nipple to grow stiff and erect upon tactile stimulation, facilitating suckling. Sebaceous glands in the areola lubricate the nipple while nursing (Khan, Y. S., & Sajjad, H., 2021).
