Breast Anatomy

Pick up any magazine nowadays and you’d swear normal breasts anatomy were made of saline and silicon. On the contrary, normal breasts are composed of glands, ducts, connective

tissue, and fat.

Glands

Glands are the parts of your breasts that are responsible for milk production. Each gland is composed of tiny clusters of alveoli, which are hollow sacs that make and hold milk. When you’re young, your breasts are mostly made up of glandular tissue. As you age, however, the glands atrophy and are replaced with fat. The glands are what give the breast firmness, so things tend to get a little mushy as you age. Glands are also very sensitive to hormonal changes and may feel sore and lumpy before your period.

Ducts

The ducts form your breasts’ “plumbing system.” Ducts are connected to glands and bring milk to your nipples. About fifteen to twenty ducts come together near the areola (the dark area around the nipple) to form ampullae. The ampullae are sacs that store milk before it reaches the nipple surface. By the way, those little bumps on your areola aren’t pimples; they’re oil glands that release a lubricant which protects your nipples while nursing.

Connective Tissue

Connective tissue is like webbing that supports the ducts and glands, giving shape and firmness to the breast. Once connective tissue is stretched, through pregnancy or weight gain, it doesn’t always spring back to its original size. That can only mean one thing: the race to your belly button is on! To make matters worse, connective tissue breaks down as you age, causing even more sagging.

Fat

Finally, your breasts are composed of a certain amount of fat. Your breast size is determined by both the amounts of glandular tissue and fatty tissue that your body has.