Areola
This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. (September 2017) |
| Areola | |
|---|---|
| File:Nipple.jpg | |
| File:Breast anatomy normal scheme.png Breast schematic diagram (adult female human cross section) Legend: 1. Thoracic wall 2. Pectoralis muscles 3. Lobules 4. Nipple 5. Areola 6. Duct 7. Fatty tissue 8. Skin | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | areola mammae |
| TA98 | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 746: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| TH | {{#property:P1694}} |
| TE | {{#property:P1693}} |
| FMA | {{#property:P1402}} |
| Anatomical terminology [[[d:Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 865: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|edit on Wikidata]]] | |
The human areola (areola mammae, /əˈriːələ/[1][2] or /ˌæriˈoʊlə/[2][3]) is the pigmented area on the breast around the nipple. More generally, an areola is a small circular area on the body with a different histology from the surrounding tissue, or other small circular areas such as an inflamed region of skin.
The mature human female nipple has several small openings arranged radially around the tip of the lactiferous ducts, from which milk is released during lactation. The other small openings in the areola are sebaceous glands, also known as areolar glands.[4]
Shade
[edit | edit source]The areolae can range from pink to red to brown to dark brown or nearly black, but generally tend to be paler among people with lighter skin tones and darker among people with darker skin tones. A reason for the differing color may be to make the nipple area more visible to the infant.[5]
Hyperpigmentation occurs in most women during the second stage of pregnancy, leading to a temporarily darker shade.[6]
Size and shape
[edit | edit source]
The size and shape of areolae and nipples are also highly variable, with those of women usually being larger than those of men and prepubescent girls. Human areolae are mostly circular in shape, but many women have large areolae that are noticeably elliptical.
The average diameter of male areolae is around 28.0 mm (1.1 in). Sexually mature women have an average of 38.1 mm (1.5 in), but sizes can exceed 100 mm (4 in).[7] Lactating women, and women with particularly large breasts, may have even larger areolae. A function of the specialized dermis of the areola is to protect the regular breast skin from wear, cracking, and irritation. Infants sometimes create trauma to the nipple and areolae by latching-on.[8]
Rated according to the Tanner scale of female physical development, the areolae enlarge during stage 3, but they show no separation of contour. During stage 4, the areolae and papillae rise above breast level and form secondary mounds. By stage 5, the breasts have fully developed. As this has resulted in recession of the areolae, the papillae may reach a little above the breasts' contour.[9]
Pregnancy can cause enlargement of the areola tissue and of Montgomery glands or tubercles.[6][10]
Mechanoreceptors
[edit | edit source]Breastfeeding by the baby stimulates slowly and rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors that are densely packed around the areolar region.
Diseases
[edit | edit source]Paget's disease of the breast is a malignant condition that outwardly may have the appearance of eczema, with skin changes involving the areola and nipple.
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]
- ^ OED 2nd edition, 1989.
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ The plural of areola is areolas or areolae (/əˈriːəˌli/ or /ˌæriˈoʊˌli, ˌɛr-/). Areola is the diminutive of Latin area, meaning "open place".
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 153: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).