Histology of Breast

Mammary glands are modified from apocrine sweat gland, contain 15-25 lobes. Lobes are divided into
lobules. Inside lobules there are alveoli and intralobular duct.

General Histology
Areola: thin skin with sebaceous gland and high level of melanin
Nipple: keratized stratified squamous epithelial cell with many nerve ends
Lactiferous duct opening: stratified squamous epithelial cells
Lactiferous sinus: stratified cuboidal epithelial cells
Lactifeous duct: simple cuboidal epithelium
Interlobular duct: simple cuboidal epithelium
Intralobular duct: simple cuboidal epithelium that surrounded by myoepithelium

Inactive Mammary Gland (resting, not pregnant, not lactating)

Small duct, Undeveloped alveoli, and Few lobules

Active mammary gland (pregnant, lactating)

Proliferation of alveoli, duct system is grow and extensively branched, gland is active
In late pregnancy, alveoli and ducts are filled with colostrumsdilated
 Milk production
Estrogen and progesterone prolactin  milk production
 Alveolar epithelial cells enlage and active in milk production
 protein made by rough ER packages into secretory vesicleexocytosis by merocrine secretion
 lipidextension of fatty acid chainpackaged by apical cell exocytosis by apocrine secretion
 Lactosemade in GAexcretion with …..
Those material are accumulated in duct system as milk

Post lactational regression of mammary gland

Breast feeding is stoppedalveoli degenerates by apotosis and sloughing of cells. Dead cells and debris
are removed by autophagy of macrophages
Elderly woman: fat deposition, loss of fiboblast, collagen, and elastic fibers ins troma, atrophy of
glandular tissuebreast size