Mammary gland

A milk-producing organ in mammals that nourishes offspring after birth. Its development and activity are regulated by hormones and shaped by reproductive state.

Lactation: The production and secretion of milk by mammary glands after birth. It is the broader physiological process in which the gland produces and releases milk.
Mammary epithelium: The layer of specialized cells lining mammary ducts and secretory structures. Its cells form the gland’s milk-producing and milk-transporting surfaces.
Breastfeeding: The feeding of an infant with milk directly from a lactating breast. It is the principal natural use of the mammary gland after birth.
Apocrine gland: A type of exocrine gland that releases secretions into hair follicles or onto skin. Mammary glands share developmental and structural features with apocrine glands but specialize in milk.
Alveolus (mammary gland): A small sac of milk-secreting epithelial cells in the mammary gland. These secretory units make and collect milk within the gland.
Mammary gland development: The formation and maturation of mammary tissue from embryonic stages through adulthood. The gland changes markedly across puberty, pregnancy, and lactation.
Mastitis: Inflammation of breast tissue, commonly associated with infection during lactation. Inflammation can disrupt milk flow and make nursing painful.
Sebaceous gland: A skin gland that secretes oily sebum, usually into a hair follicle. It is a nearby skin gland with a secretion and function distinct from milk production.
Myoepithelial cell: A contractile cell that surrounds secretory units and ducts in certain glands. Contraction of these cells helps propel milk from mammary alveoli into ducts.
Mammary gland involution: The regression of mammary tissue after lactation ends, involving cell death and tissue remodeling. It reverses much of the secretory expansion that occurs during lactation.

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