Breast
Mamma
Integumentary (skin)SkinThoraxLeft and right
View left in 3D View right in 3D
Shown on the female body.
- What it is
- The skin-covered mound of the female breast over pectoralis major between the 2nd and 6th ribs, sternum to mid-axillary line, with an axillary tail. Inside lie the mammary gland lobes, ducts and fat (glands module).
- Function
- Houses the mammary gland, which produces and delivers milk to the nipple during lactation.
- Size
- ~12 cm wide, ~11 cm high, projecting ~3–4 cm here; size varies greatly
- Clinical note
- About three-quarters of lymph from the breast drains to the axillary nodes, which is why the axilla is examined and sampled in breast cancer; most cancers arise in the upper outer quadrant.