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Slide show: Female breast anatomy

By Mayo Clinic staff

 

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Illustration showing lobes and lobules of the breast

Female breast anatomy

The structure of the female breast is remarkable and complex. It's configured so that your body can produce milk to feed babies. For the most part, a woman's breasts consist of fat and connective tissue. But there are other, less conspicuous parts in the female breast, including milk ducts, lobes, lobules, arteries and lymph nodes.

Each breast has 15 to 20 sections (lobes). Each lobe is made up of many smaller structures (lobules) that end in tiny bulbs that can produce milk.

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Oct. 19, 2007

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