We get the word "mama" from the Latin word, "mamma," which means breast. All mammals, including humans, have live births and subsequently nurse their young. The milk is produced in the mammary glands. When a baby suckles the breast, milk flows through the nipples out to feed the baby. While understanding the function of the mammary glands is important and interesting, it is also critical for all women to take steps to protect themselves from breast cancer.
Identification
Mammary glands are where female mammals, including women, produce milk to feed their babies. Most people call the mammary glands breasts. Each breast contains a cluster of alveoli or sacs in which milk is produced. The alveoli release the milk into ducts, which work like pipes to take the milk to the nipples.
Features
During pregnancy and lactation, the ducts in the mammary glands lengthen. The ends of the ducts are surrounded by myoepithelial cells. These work to release the milk through the nipples when the baby suckles. The baby's sucking also stimulates a hormone, oxytocin, that, according to researchers at the University of Warwick, helps the mother and her baby to form a bond of trust.
Significance
Lactating hormones, which stimulate milk, are made in the corpus luteum inside a woman's ovaries. However, the first liquid that a newborn infant receives is a clear liquid, colostrum, which nourishes the infant until the mother's milk "comes in." Colostrum contains antibodies that protect the newborn from certain diseases. The more the baby sucks, the quicker the milk production starts. Lactation (breastfeeding) may suppress a woman's menstrual period until after the baby is weaned. It is not reliable as a form of family planning, however.
Time Frame
Mammary glands are unique because they do not fully develop before a girl is born. Instead, they grow during puberty and continue to grow during pregnancy. When a woman is lactating or breastfeeding a baby, her breasts may increase in size. If the baby does not feed every four hours or so, her breasts may even become swollen, hard and uncomfortable. As the baby feeds, the woman's breasts drain and get softer again.
Warning
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women. One out of seven women develop the disease over a 90-year life span, according to BreastCancer.com. Experts recommend that all women perform a monthly breast self-exam and that women over the age of 40 receive an annual mammogram. A mammogram is a scan of breast tissue that can rule out tumors that are too small to feel with an external examination.
Tags: mammary glands, baby suckles, grow during, mammals including, milk produced
