Areola

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Areola

In anatomy

Human anatomy

Human anatomy, which, with physiology and biochemistry, is a complementary basic medical science is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body....
, the term areola, plural areolae, (diminutive of Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
area, "open place") is used to describe any circular area such as the colored skin surrounding the nipple

Nipple

In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young....
. While it is most commonly used to describe the pigment

Pigment

A pigment is a material that changes the color of light it Reflection as the result of selective color absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which the material itself emits light....
ed area around the human nipple (areola mammae), it can also be used to describe other small circular areas such as the inflamed region surrounding a pimple

Pimple

A pimple is a result of a blockage of the skin's pore. It can be a pustule or papule....
.

One reason the color of the areola differs from that of the rest of the breast

Breast

The breast is the upper ventral region of an animal?s torso, particularly that of mammals, including human beings. The breasts of a female primate?s body contain the mammary glands, which secrete milk used to feed infants....
is that the Areola roughly delineates where the duct

Duct (anatomy)

In anatomy and physiology, a duct is a circumscribed channel leading from an exocrine gland or Organ .Types of ductsExamples include:...
s of the mammary gland

Mammary gland

Mammary glands are the organ s that, in mammals, produce milk for the sustenance of the young. These exocrine glands are enlarged and modified sweat glands and give mammals their name....
s are.

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I am 22 weeks pregnant - yesterday I noticed the bottom half of my areolas were yellow. This freaked...

I've had little "pimples" on my areola since I was pregnant 2 years ago. They never hurt or anything...

Encyclopedia

In anatomy

Human anatomy

Latin

Nipple

Pigment

Pimple

A pimple is a result of a blockage of the skin's pore. It can be a pustule or papule....
.

One reason the color of the areola differs from that of the rest of the breast

Breast

Duct (anatomy)

In anatomy and physiology, a duct is a circumscribed channel leading from an exocrine gland or Organ .Types of ductsExamples include:...
s of the mammary gland

Mammary gland

Mammary glands are the organ s that, in mammals, produce milk for the sustenance of the young. These exocrine glands are enlarged and modified sweat glands and give mammals their name....
s are. Careful inspection of a mature human female nipple

Nipple

In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young....
will reveal several small openings arranged radially around the tip of the nipple (lactiferous duct

Lactiferous duct

Lactiferous ducts lead from the lobules of the mammary gland to the tip of the nipple. They are also referred to as galactophores, galactophorous ducts, mammary ducts, mamillary ducts and milk ducts....
s) from where milk is released during lactation

Lactation

Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands, the process of providing that milk to the young, and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young....
. Other small openings in the areola are sebaceous glands known as Montgomery's glands

Glands of Montgomery

Glands of Montgomery are sebaceous glands in the areola . The glands makes oily secretions to keep the areola and the nipple lubricated and protected....
(or glands of Montgomery) which provide lubrication to protect the area around the nipple and assist with suckling and pumping of the lactation. These can be quite obvious and raised above the surface of the areola, giving the appearance of "goose-flesh". This tissue in addition to supporting the flow of lactose also bears the brunt of abuse that the suckling involves.

The other reason for its color comes from an abundance of two polymers. These are; eumelanin, the brown pigment, and pheomelanin, the red pigment. The genetically directed amount of these pigments determines the color of the areola. They can range from pale yellow to nearly black, but generally tend to be paler among people with lighter skin tones and darker among people with darker skin tones. An individual's areolae may also change color over time in response to hormonal

Hormone

Hormones are chemicals released by cells that affect cells in other parts of the body. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism....
changes caused by menstruation

Menstruation

See also "Mensuration", a term sometimes used to describe Measurement, particularly in the context of forestry.Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining ....
, certain medication

Medication

A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine or medicament, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease....
s, and aging. Most notably, the areolae may darken substantially during pregnancy

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, inside the uterus of a female. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or Multiple birth....
. Some regression to the original color may occur after the baby is born, but again, this varies from individual to individual.

The size and shape of areolae is also highly variable, with those of sexually mature women usually being larger than those of men and prepubescent girls. Human areolae are mostly circular in shape but many women and some men have areolae that are noticeably elliptical.

The areolae of most men is around 25 mm (1 in) in diameter

Diameter

In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle....
while those of sexually-mature women may range up to 100 mm (4 in) or more in diameter, with average sizes around 30 mm (1.2 in). The areola of women who are lactating or who have particularly large breasts may be even larger.