Human Mammary Areola
Careful inspection of a mature human female nipple will reveal several small openings arranged radially around the tip of the nipple (lactiferous ducts) from which milk is released during lactation. Other small openings in the areola are sebaceous glands, known as Montgomery's glands (or glands of Montgomery), which provide lubrication to protect the area around the nipple and assist with suckling and pumping of the lactation. These can be quite obvious and raised above the surface of the areola, giving the appearance of "goose-flesh". This tissue, in addition to supporting the flow of milk, also bears the brunt of physical stress that the suckling involves.
Read more about this topic: Areola
Famous quotes containing the word human:
“A written word is the choicest of relics. It is something at once more intimate with us and more universal than any other work of art. It is the work of art nearest to life itself. It may be translated into every language, and not only be read but actually breathed from all human lips;Mnot be represented on canvas or in marble only, but be carved out of the breath of life itself. The symbol of an ancient man’s thought becomes a modern man’s speech.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)