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Breast Facts

Breasts are one of the most interesting and intriguing of human organs. Though they have just one biological purpose in the life cycle of the woman (i.e. for nursing their babies), they undergo a staggering number of changes in the entire lifetime. Breasts are erogenous zones and they are considered sexual organs. All these factors have led to large-scale interest in them.

Some interesting facts about human breasts are mentioned below:-

Breasts do not grow from birth. Their development begins when the girl reaches puberty. This is roughly around 10 years of age. The initial development is as growth of the tissue, increasing the size of the bust. The development of the nipple and areola takes place much later, around 20 years of age. Moreover, the nipple and the areola keep changing during pregnancy, childbirth and then lactation. There are also changes during the menstrual cycle.

The only known biological purpose of them is for feeding the newborn babies. Breasts contain a large number of milk producing glands known as lobules, which are connected to the areolae. During lactation, the baby clamps its mouth at the areola and suckles milk out of the breast by pressing the nipple with the roof of its mouth. Milk automatically flows from the lobules to the nipple by the child's squeezing action. This is known as the let down reflex.

They do not contain any muscle. All they are made up of is a mass of adipose tissue, which is nothing but a fatty tissue held together by the skin. They contain Cooper's ligaments within them to give firmness to the breast. As age advances, the Cooper's ligaments break down and the breasts droop down. This is called as sagging of breasts.

Since they do not contain muscle, no amount of exercise can help in increasing their size directly. A woman who exercises to increase her bust size is actually working with the pectoral muscles below the adipose tissue of the breast. The strengthening of the pectoral muscles tone the breasts and improve them.

The average cup size of women all over the world is the B size. Hollywood beauties undergo several breast enhancement techniques to either really increase their bust, or to make it appear to be increased.

In a breast implant surgery, a flexible pouch of saline filled silicone gel is inserted into the pectoral muscle just below where the breast's adipose tissue begins. The implants are not felt from the outside and the woman can be back to business within a couple of hours. With a breast implant surgery, the woman can get a cup size increase. However, it is very off-putting to have an increase of more than two cup sizes as it will seriously tamper with the proportion of the body.

Breasts respond to positive thoughts in a woman. It has been observed that a woman who always keeps up her optimism will tend to have fuller breasts; while breasts are known to sag due to tension and stress.

In rare occurrences, males also appear to have breasts. This happens when the tissue in the male's chest region develops more than normal, giving the appearance of breasts. This condition is called as gynecomastia and can be surgically corrected.

Some women have pigeon breasts. This condition makes the breasts protrude downwards, attaching even the nipple to the lower chest region. This needs correction by surgical methods.

There are much more women in the world having A cup size than D. Small breasts actually are more preferred by men in anorexic women. Women with large breasts could suffer from back pain and other such problems.

Bras are not just lingerie. They are much needed supports to the breasts and must be worn whenever going out of the house. Bras are necessary when puberty just sets in, as they help in developing the shape of the breasts. However bras must not be worn all the time as they may restrict blood circulation in the breasts.

There is no relation between breast size and libido. It is a common myth that big-breasted women are more sexually craving. In fact, some women do not even find having their breasts fondled sexually arousing. Similarly, it is also a myth that all men find big-breasted women sexier than small-breasted ones.

There are several imperfections in breasts. Many women have asymmetrical breasts. Also, there may be other things such as nipple hair and inverted nipples. Inverted nipples must be taken care of if they occur suddenly, as they could be a symptom of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of female deaths due to cancer in the US. It can be treated in the early stages, but if neglected, it almost always leads to death. Contrary to popular belief, breast cancer can also occur in males as both male and female breasts are made of the same tissue structure.