Breast

The Female breast, which varies considerably in size, is made up 15 - 20 lobes, each of which is divided into lobules containing a number of saclike swellings called acini. These are lined by secretory cells, and have ducts which join together to form what is called the lactiferous duct of the lobe. Each lobe has its own duct which opens into a swelling behind the nipple before passing through the nipple, to open as a small punctum on the surface. The glands and ducts are surrounded by fatty tissue and supported by fibrous strands. There is an abundant blood and nerve supply. The nipple is surrounded by a darker area of skin called the areolus which contains a number of glands, called Montgomerie's tubercles, whose function is to lubricate the nipple.

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