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The Breast
Each breast has 15 to 20 overlapping sections called lobes.
Within each lobe are many smaller lobules,
which end in dozens of tiny bulbs that can produce milk. The lobes, lobules,
and bulbs are all linked by thin tubes called ducts.
These ducts lead to the nipple in the center of a dark area of skin called
the areola. Fat fills the spaces
around the lobules and ducts. There are no muscles in the breast, but
muscles lie under each breast and cover the ribs.
Each breast also contains blood vessels and vessels that carry colorless
fluid called lymph. The lymph
vessels lead to small bean-shaped organs called lymph
nodes. Clusters of lymph nodes are found near the breast in the axilla
(under the arm), above the collarbone, and in the chest. Lymph nodes are
also found in many other parts of the body.
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