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44 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What kind of glands are mammary glands?
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- Accessory glands of the skin, specialized to secrete milk
- Compound tubuloalveolar glands |
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How are mammary glands arranged?
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- Each gland is arranged in 15-25 lobes
- Surrounded by varying amounts of adipose and CT (interlobular CT) |
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How are the lobes in the mammary glands organized?
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Lobes are subdivided into lobules that contain alveoli and ducts that are separated by a more cellular CT (intralobular CT)
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What kind of duct opens onto the surface of the nipple to drain milk?
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Lactiferous duct
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Where is the milk generated before draining through the lactiferous duct?
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Alveoli
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What feature is seen in each lactiferous duct?
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Terminal expansion called the Lactiferous Sinus, just deep to the surface of the nipple
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What is the term for excessive development of the male mammary glands? What does this indicate?
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Gynecomastia - indicates endocrinopathy
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What are the age related breast stages in females?
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- Pre-pubertal breast
- Puberty - Sexual maturity - Menopause |
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What are the characteristics of the pre-pubertal breast?
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Rudimentary, inactive lactiferous ducts and sinuses
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What are the characteristics of the breast during puberty?
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Hormones stimulate the deposition of adipose tissue in female breasts and enhance the development of the lactiferous ducts and alveoli
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What are the characteristics of the breasts in the sexually mature female?
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Glandular tissues undergo changes during each menstrual cycle
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What are the characteristics of the breasts during menopause?
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Atrophy of the glandular tissue, adipose tissue and interlobular connective tissue
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What stage of breast tissue is this? How can you tell?
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Human Pre-Pubertal Breast
- Major components of breast tissue are collagen and adipose tissue - Lobules of mammary gland contain undeveloped ductules and intralobular CT - Intralobular CT is much finer and less abundant than the interlobular CT |
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What are the components of the mammary gland during the pre-pubertal stage?
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- Undeveloped ductules
- Intralobular CT |
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What stage of breast tissue is this? How can you tell?
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Sexual maturity - INACTIVE:
- Alveoli are not well developed - Dense fibrous CT and adipose tissue (interlobular CT) are abundant |
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What stage of breast tissue is this? How can you tell?
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Sexual Maturity - INACTIVE:
- Predominant components are collagen and adipose tissue - Branching of the ductules has occurred |
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What happens to the ductules of mammary glands once the pre-pubertal girl (picture) becomes sexually mature?
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Branching of the ductules occurs
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What type of epithelium lines the ductules in the mammary glands?
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- Simple Cuboidal Epithelium
- There are also flattened nuclei of Myoepithelial cells adjacent to the epithelium of the ducts |
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What kinds of cells are adjacent to the epithelium of the ducts of the mammary glands? How can you spot them?
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Myoepithelial cells - they have flattened nuclei and are adjacent to the simple cuboidal epithelium
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What is this structure?
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Nipple
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What are the structures that are cut in cross and longitudinal section?
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Lactiferous sinuses and ducts
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What are the components of the human nipple?
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- Collagen and elastic tissue
- Stoma contains bundles of smooth muscle - Sebaceous glands are associated with skin that covers the nipple |
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What kind of glands are found in the skin that covers the nipple? Is this skin thick or thin?
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- Sebaceous glands
- Thin skin |
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What stage of breast tissue is this? How can you tell?
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Human mammary gland during pregnancy
- Numerous, well-developed alveoli are seen in the mammary gland tissue - CT between lobules (interlobular) is reduced - Intralobular CT is more cellular than fibrous - Actively secreting alveolar cells have hypertrophied |
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What leads to well-developed alveoli in the mammary gland tissue of pregnant women?
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- Duct branching
- Alveolar growth in the terminal portions of the gland - CT between lobules is reduced |
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What happens to the intralobular CT in pregnancy?
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Intralobular CT is predominantly cellular, rather than fibrous, and includes plasma cells, lymphocytes, and eosinophils
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Where might you find the secretory product of the alveolar cells during pregnancy?
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Lumen of some alveoli
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What kind of WBCs are found in the intralobular CT of the mammary gland during pregnancy?
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- Plasma cells
- Lymphocytes - Eosinophils |
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What are the characteristics of the epithelium of the alveoli?
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Two layers
- Cuboidal epithelial cells (secretory cells) - lumenal layer - Myoepithelial cells (modified smooth muscle cells) - outer layer |
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What are smaller ducts lined with as compared to larger ducts?
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Smaller ducts:
- Simple columnar or cuboidal epithelium Larger ducts: - Some may be Lactiferous ducts - Lined with stratified cuboidal epithelium |
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What stage of breast tissue is this? How can you tell?
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Mammary gland - LACTATING
- Interlobular CT is less abundant and more compressed than in an inactive mammary gland - CT within lobule (intralobular) is less abundant too |
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What are the characteristics of alveolar cells in a mammary gland that is lactating?
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The large cells of the alveoli appear vacuolated because solvents remove lipid droplets in the apical cytoplasm during tissue processing
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What happens to the lipids found in the alveoli of lactating mammary glands?
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Apocrine Secretions: lipids are released into the lumen with a tiny amount of cytoplasm
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Where is the protein component of milk synthesized? How is it secreted?
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- Synthesized in rER
- Packaged into secretory granules and released by exocytosis = Merocrine Secretion |
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What does the term Apocrine Secretion refer to?
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Process of lipids being released into the lumen with a tiny amount of cytoplasm
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What does the term Merocrine Secretion refer to?
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Process of the protein product of milk being synthesized in rER, packaged into secretory granules, and released by exocytosis
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What stage of breast tissue is this?
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Section of breast in the lactation phase
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How does a lactating breast compare histologically to the inactive mature breast (this picture)?
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- In lactating breast (picture), alveoli are present and dilated
- Interlobular and intralobular CT have become compressed by the expanding mammary gland tissue |
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What hormone regulates lactation? Source?
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Prolactin from the lactotrophs of the adenohypophysis
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Normally prolactin secretion is inhibited by what? How is this affected by suckling?
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- Dopamine inhibits the release of prolactin
- Suckling blocks Dopamine release from the hypothalamus |
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What stimulates the myoepithelial cells to contract? Source?
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Oxytocin, released from neurohypophysis
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What is the action of Oxytocin on the breast?
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It facilitates ejection of the milk from the acinar cells by stimulating myoepithelial contraction
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What do male patients with cirrhosis frequently exhibit related to the breast?
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Gynecomastia
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Why do male patients with cirrhosis often have gynecomastia?
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- Diminished catabolism of androstenedione by the diseased liver means more substrate for the conversion of androgens to estrogens
- This results in higher circulating levels of estrogens and leads to mammary gland development in males |