Abstract
The prenatal and neonatal development of the mammary gland occurs in three stages: 1) the primordia from 6 to 8 weeks postmenstrual age; 2) the nipple from 8 to 19 weeks; and 3) the ducts of the mammary gland proper from 19 weeks to the neonatal period. The developing breast is composed of specialized epithelium and mesenchyme. The specialized epithelium will form the ectodermal nipple and the mammary ducts. The specialized mesenchyme will form the stroma and smooth muscle of the nipple and areola, the intralobular stroma, and the interlobular septa, as well as the supporting connective tissues including the capsule, Cooper ligaments, and pectoral ligaments. Cooper ligaments anchor the breast to the overlying dermis. Pectoral ligaments anchor the breast to the underlying pectoralis fascia. Interactions between the mesenchyme and epithelium result in the synchronous differentiation of the epithelial basal cells into myoepithelium and the mesenchyme into its various components.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
O’Rahilly R, Muller F: The origin of the ectodermal ring in staged human embryos of the first five weeks. Acta Anat 1958, 122:145–157.
Hughes ESR: The development of the mammary gland. Ann R Coll Surg 1950, 6:3–23.
Friedrichs N, Steiner S, Buettner R, Knoepfle G: Immunohistochemical expression patterns of AP2a and AP2g in the developing fetal human breast. Histopathology 2007, 51: 814–823.
Sternlicht MD: Key stages in mammary gland development. The cues that regulate ductal branching morphogenesis. Breast Cancer Res 2006, 8:201–211.
Jolicouer F, Gaboury LA, Oligny LL: Basal cells of second trimester fetal breasts: immunohistochemical study of myoepithelial precursors. Pediatr Dev Patho 2003, 6:398–413.
Jolicouer F: Intrauterine breast development and mammary myoepithelial lineage. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2006, 10: 199–210.
McKiernan JF, Hull D: Breast development in the newborn. Arch Dis Child 1981, 56:525–529.
Anbazhagan R, Bartek J, Monaghan P, Gusterson BA: Growth and development of the human infant breast. Am J Anat 1995, 192:407–417.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Huff, D.S., Huff, D.S. (2011). Mammary Gland. In: Ernst, L., Ruchelli, E., Huff, D. (eds) Color Atlas of Fetal and Neonatal Histology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0019-6_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0019-6_30
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-0018-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-0019-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)