Library · Anatomy
Breast
Make it clearer
The breast is, above all, two tissues mixed together. One is glandular tissue, the part that makes milk, and the other is the fatty tissue that surrounds it and gives it volume. The proportion between the two varies from person to person.
That mass does not float free. It rests on the pectoralis muscle and on the uppermost portion of the rectus abdominis, the muscle of the abdomen, occupying the band that runs from the second rib down to the sixth.
It is also held in place. Bands of tissue called the suspensory ligaments of Cooper anchor it to the pectoralis major and run all the way through it, from the dermis, the deep layer of the skin, down to the fascia, the wrapping that covers the muscle. They work like internal suspenders holding the structure up from within.
In brief
Most of the breast is made up of two tissues mixed together: glandular tissue, which produces milk, and fatty tissue.
That tissue lies over the pectoralis muscle and the uppermost portion of the rectus abdominis muscle, between the second and sixth ribs.
The suspensory ligaments of Cooper anchor the breast to the pectoralis major and traverse the breast from the dermis down to the pectoral fascia.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology InformationAnatomy, Thorax, Breast. StatPearls
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated