Breast Enlargement - Anatomy and Physiology

The breast is made of lobes of glandular tissue with associated ducts for transfer of the milk to the exterior and supportive fibrous and fatty tissue. In order to understand the often-bewildering textures and changes that the human breast undergoes in normal and especially abnormal situations, it is necessary to learn about what the breast is made of and what it is influenced by
 
Breasts begin developing in the embryo about 7 to 8 weeks after conception. They are unrecognizable at this stage consisting only of a thickening or ridge of tissue. From weeks 12 to 16, the various sub-components become more defined. Tiny groupings of cells begin to branch out, laying the foundation for future ducts and milk producing glands. Other tissues develop into muscle cells which will form the nipple (the protruding point of the breast) and areola (the darkened tissue surrounding the nipple).
 
In the later stages of pregnancy, the mother’s hormones, which cross the placenta into the fetus, cause breast cells to organize into branching tube-like structures thus forming the milk ducts. In the final 8 weeks, lobules, (milk producing glands), mature and actually begin to secrete a liquid substance called colostrums. In both female and male newborns, swellings underneath the nipples and areolae can easily be felt and a clear liquid discharge (colostrums) can be seen. These represent the effect of the mother’s hormones and subside in the first few weeks of life.
 
From infancy to just before puberty, there is no difference between the female and male breasts. With the beginning of female puberty, however, the release of estrogen, at first alone, and then in combination with progesterone when the ovaries functionally mature, cause the breasts to undergo dramatic changes which culminate in the fully mature form. This process on average takes 3 to 4 years and is usually complete by age 16. However, this cell growth is only temporary. La Femme™ Capsules safely stimulate mammarial tissue growth without promoting milk production.
 
The breast is made of lobes of glandular tissue with associated ducts for transfer of the milk to the exterior and supportive fibrous and fatty tissue. On average, there are 15 to 20 lobes in each breast, arranged roughly in a wheel spoke pattern emanating from the nipple area. The distribution of the lobes is not even, however.
 
There is a preponderance of glandular tissue in the upper outer portion of the breast. This is responsible for the tenderness in this region that many women experience prior to their menstrual cycle. About 80 – 85% of normal breast tissue is fat during the reproductive years. The 15 to 20 lobes are further divided into lobules containing alveoli (small sac-like features) of secretary cells with smaller ducts that conduct the milk to larger ducts and finally to a reservoir that lies just under the nipple. In the non-pregnant, non-lactating breast, the alveoli are small.
 
During pregnancy, the alveoli enlarge, and during lactation the cells secrete milk substances (proteins and lipids). Muscular cells surrounding the alveoli contract to express the milk during lactation. Ligaments called Cooper’s ligaments that keep the breasts in their characteristic shape and position support breast tissue. In the elderly or in pregnancy, these ligaments become loose or stretched, respectively, and the breasts sag.
 
The lymphatic system drains the tissues of the breast of excess fluid. Lymph nodes along the pathway of drainage screen for foreign bodies such as bacteria or viruses.