Browse the corpus

Walk the Even Hospital Database by book and chapter — the raw source passages that ground Ask, DDx, and the rest.

1 passage

introductionstatpearls· Introduction· item NBK547666

The mammary gland is a highly evolved and specialized organ developing on each side of the anterior chest wall. This organ's primary function is to secrete milk. Though the gland is present in both sexes, it is well-developed in females but rudimentary in males.[1] The mammary gland is a vital accessory organ in the female reproductive system. The mammary gland is classified as apocrine. Thus, the secretory cells' apical segment and a portion of their cytoplasm become part of the secretion. The mammary gland usually weighs between 500 and 1000 grams each. The organ is hemispherical in young adult females but becomes pendulous later in life. This article discusses the anatomy, function, and clinical importance of the mammary gland.[2]