About Nipples

All mammals, including humans, possess nipples. These small projections of skin are extremely important to survival as they provide for the transport of nourishment from the mother's body to that of the child following birth. Nipples are also celebrated as sexually attractive attributes in human females. Sometimes nipples are even decorated with paint, pasties or even piercings in both men and women.

Function

• Nipples are used by mammals in feeding their offspring. The projection of the nipple allows the baby to take hold of it with his mouth and suckle. Fluid, breast milk, flows through the nipple. While humans generally only have two nipples, other mammals have a greater number which are located bilaterally along the abdomen. In general the number of nipples possessed by the animal is equal to the maximum litter size for the species. Men and male animals also possess nipples but these are non-functional for nursing young.

Features

• In mammals, the nipple is present as a projection of skin forming a small bud-like bump. A nipple contains around 20 lactiferous ducts which are positioned around the tip. These ducts provide the means for the transfer of milk. In addition to these, the nipple also has an abundant supply of nerves which react to specific stimuli such as cold.

  Human females have nipples that protrude around 3/8 inches. During pregnancy the nipples may increase and occasionally stay the new size following childbirth and nursing. The nipple in women is surrounded by the sensitive skin of the pigmented areola (color varies but is often light brown, beige, pink or red). The skin of the nipple is generally darker in color than the surrounding areola. The pigmentation usually darkens with pregnancy but often reverts back to its original color months following childbirth.

Considerations

• Nipple health is an important concern for women as there are problems which can arise. Many of these conditions are related to lactation but not all. Anytime there is a change in the nipple, especially in the event of a discharge, a physician should be consulted.

  Older women nearing menopause experience ectasia which is milk gland dilation. This is a normal process but occasionally during ectasia the milk ducts may become blocked causing pooling and leaking of milk into the breast tissue. This condition can cause infection with or without inflammation and sometimes an abscess. The condition needs to be treated as infection can spread and become a serious problem. Scar tissue may also form following difficulties with ectasia.

  A doctor's examination is in order for any event in which there is a discharge from the nipple or a lump in the nipple area. Women should not be unduly alarmed, however, as most problems with nipples are not generally serious and treatments are generally effective.

Misconceptions

• While most consider a woman's breast an erogenous zone, many do not realize that male nipples are also rich in nerve supply and are sexually sensitive. Erection of nipples occurs during sexual arousal in both sexes.

  Another misconception is that the human male is incapable of lactating. This is untrue as males sometimes experience lactation though the "milk" is generally non-nourishing.

Expert Insight

• The development of nipples in human fetuses is a fascinating process. Despite the fact that most humans are born with only two nipples, it is known that during fetal development several more nipples appear. These are arranged from the armpit down to the groin on both sides. Most times these extra nipples disappear before the child is born but occasionally a baby is born with them. In these cases the extra nipples rarely have lactiferous glands necessary for eventual nursing.