The Sex Organs - The Female Sex Organs

The Breasts

Form and function
Although the rounded female breasts cannot be considered sex organs in the narrow sense of the term, they usually play an important part not only in erotic arousal, but also in the nurturing of the newborn. In a sense then, the breasts can be said to have some erotic as well as reproductive function. The breasts of a mature woman are two cushions of fat and tissue which surround her mammary glands. Whenever she gives birth to a child, these glands begin to secrete milk into special ducts leading to the nipples. The nipples, which are composed of smooth muscle fiber, and which contain many nerve endings, are very sensitive to the touch and can become erect during sexual excitement. The area around the nipples (areola) is pinkish, but becomes-and then remains-darker as a result of pregnancy. The female breasts begin to develop fully during puberty as a result of hormonal stimulation. Their eventual shape and size is determined by heredity.

Left: Cross section of a female breast. Right: A: Nipples before the first pregnancy. (Areola is pinkish.) B: Nipples after the first pregnancy. (Areola is brownish.)