Anatomy and Physiology of The Breast
Anatomy and Physiology of The Breast
Anatomy and Physiology of The Breast
THE BREAST
paired
mammary glands that lies over a muscle of the chest called the pectoral muscle. The female breast covers a fairly large area. It extends from just below the collarbone (clavicle), to the armpit (axilla) and across to the breastbone (sternum).
Depending
on their size and shape, the breasts extend vertically from the second to the sixth rib and horizontally from the sternum to the midaxillary line
Breast Composition
The breast is a mass of glandular, fatty, and fibrous tissues and contains no muscle tissue A layer of fat surrounds the gland and extends throughout the breast The fatty tissue gives the breast a soft consistency
Structure
The breast is a mass of glandular, fatty and connective tissue. The breast is made up of:
and connective tissue surrounds and protects the ducts and lobules and gives shape to the breast the pink or brown, circular area around the nipple that contains small sweat glands, which release (secrete) moisture as a lubricant during breast-feeding the area at the centre of the areola where the milk comes out
areola
nipple
EXTERNAL ANATOMY
The skin of the breasts is smooth and varies in color depending on the clients skin tone. The nipple, which is located in the center of the chest, contains the tiny openings of the lactiferous ducts through which milk passes. The areola surrounds the nipple (generally 1 to 2 cm radius) and contains elevated glands (Montgomery glands)that secrete a protective lipid substance during lactation. Hair follicles commonly appear around to become more erectile during stimulation.
The nipple and areola typically have darker pigment the surrounding breast. Their color ranges from dark pink to dark brown, depending on the persons skin color.
In some clients, supernumerary nipples or other breast tissue may appear along an area called the milk line.
INTERNAL ANATOMY
Glandular Tissue- constitute the functional part of the breast, allowing for milk production. It is arranged in 15 to 20 lobes that radiate in circular fashion from the nipple
2.
Fibrous Tissue- provides support for the glandular tissue largely by way of bands called Coopers ligaments (suspensory ligaments)
Fatty Tissue- where glandular tissue is embedded. This subcutaneous and retromammary fat provides most of the substance to the breast and thus determines the size and shape of the breasts.
3.
Human breast tissue begins to develop in the 6th week of fetal life Breast tissue initially develops along the lines of the armpits and extends to the groin (milk line) By the 9th week of fetal life, it regresses (goes back) to the chest area, leaving two breast buds on the upper half of the chest
Both male and female infants have very small breasts and actually experience some nipple discharge during the first few days after birth.
Male breasts are composed of fat, with some glandular tissue. They also have areolas and nipples.
acini
Ducts Coopers ligaments
Montgomerys glands
A womans breasts are rarely balanced (symmetrical). Usually, one breast is slightly larger or smaller, higher or lower, or shaped differently than the other.
The size and characteristics of the nipple also vary greater from one woman to another.
In some women, the nipples are constantly erect. In others, they will only become erect when stimulated by cold or touch.
The breast has many blood vessels and lymph vessels. Lymph vessels are thin tubes similar to blood vessels. They collect and move lymph fluid away from the breast into small bean-shaped masses of lymphatic tissue, called lymph nodes, in the area around the breast. The lymph vessels and lymph nodes are part of the lymphatic system, which helps fight infections.
The axillary lymph nodes are divided into 3 levels according to how close they are to the pectoral muscle on the chest:
level I (low axilla) located in the lower or bottom part of the armpit, along the outside border of the pectoral muscle
level II (mid axilla) located in the middle part of the armpit, beneath the pectoral muscle level III (high axilla) located below and near the centre of the collarbone, above the breast area and along the inside border of the pectoral muscle
Breast development
Breast tissue changes at different times during a womans life. It changes during puberty, during the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy and after menopause.
Female breasts do not begin growing until puberty (around 1012 years of age). At this time, the breasts respond to hormonal changes (mostly increased estrogen and progesterone) in the body and begin to develop. During puberty, the breast ducts and milk glands grow. The breast skin stretches as the breasts grow, creating a rounded appearance. Young women tend to have denser breasts (more glandular tissue) than older women.
In older women, much of the glandular and ductal tissue is replaced with fatty tissue and breasts become less dense. Ligaments also lose their elasticity when women age, causing the breasts to sag.
Estrogen is the main female hormone. It influences female sexual characteristics, such as breast development, and it is necessary for reproduction. Most of the estrogen in a womans body is made by the ovaries, though a small amount is made by the adrenal glands. Progesterone is the other female sex hormone made in the ovaries. Its role is to prepare the uterus (womb) for pregnancy and the breasts for producing milk for breast-feeding (lactation). The breast tissues are exposed to monthly cycles of estrogen and progesterone throughout a womans childbearing years.
In the first part of the menstrual cycle, estrogen stimulates the growth of the milk ducts.
Progesterone takes over in the second part of a womans menstrual cycle, stimulating the lobules.
After menopause, the monthly cycle of estrogen and progesterone end. However, the adrenal glands continue to produce estrogen so that a woman keeps her sexual characteristics.
Function
The breasts main function is to produce, store and release milk to feed a baby. Milk is produced in lobules throughout the breast when they are stimulated by hormones in a womans body after giving birth. The ducts carry the milk to the nipple. Milk passes from the nipple to the baby during breast-feeding.
Liver Weighs about 1.36 kilograms (3 lbs) and is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen tucked against the inferior surface of the diaphragm.
4 Lobes Major: left and right Minor: caudate and quadrate Ducts Common hepatic Cystic From gallbladder
Hepatic Artery- brings oxygen- rich blood to the liver, which supplies liver cells with oxygen. Hepatic Portal Vein- carries blood that is oxygen- poor but rich in absorbed nutrients and other substances from the digestive tract to the liver.
2.
Blood exits the liver through the hepatic veins, which empty into the inferior vena cava.
Portal Triads:
1. 2. 3.
Digestion Excretion Nutrient Storage Nutrient Conversion Detoxification of harmful chemicals Synthesis of new molecules
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
GALLBLADDER
Located in right hypochondriac region. It is a pear-shaped sac from710cm long and 3cm broad at its widest point. Can hold 30-50 ml of bile.
Functions:
Its primary function is to store and concentrate bile, a yellow-brown digestive liquid produced by the liver. serves as a reservoir for bile that is not immediately used for digestion. The gallbladder's absorptive epithelial lining concentrates the stored bile. When food enters the small intestine, a hormone called cholecystokinin is released, signaling the gallbladder to contract and secrete bile into the small intestine through the common bile duct.
BILE
The liver secretes about 700 ml of bile each day It contains no digestive enzymes, but it plays an important role in digestion by diluting and neutralizing stomach acid and by dramatically increasing the efficiency of fat digestion and absorption. Bile salts emulsify fats, breaking the fat globules into smaller droplets
Bile also contains excretory products such as bile pigments, cholesterol and fats
Bile salts
The Lungs
Principal organs of respiration Each lung is cone- shaped, with its base resting on the diaphragm and its apex extending superiorly to a point about 2.5 cm above the clavicle
lobe
2. Middle
3.
lobe
The lobes of the lungs are separated by deep, prominent fissures on the surface of the lung. Each lobe is divided into bronchopulmonary segments separated from one another by connective tissue septa
The main bronchi branch many times to form the tracheobronchial tree
Each main bronchus divides into lobar bronchi as they enter their respective lungs
The lobar (secondary bronchi), 2 in the left lung and 3 in the right lung, conduct air to each lobe
The lobar bronchi in turn give rise to segemental (tertiary) bronchi, which extend to the bronchopulmonary segments of the lungs
The bronchi continue to branch many times, finally giving rise to bronchioles.
The bronchioles also subdivide numerous times to give rise to terminal bronchioles, which then subdivide numerous times into respiratory bronchioles.
Each respiratory bronchioles subdivides to form alveolar ducts, which are like long, branching hallways and with many open doors
The doorways open into alveoli, which are small air sacs
The alveolar ducts end as 2 or 3 alveolar sacs, which are chambers connected to two or more alveoli. There are about 300 million alveoli in the lungs.