Development Process of Mammary Gland

The mammary gland is one of exocrine organs which is like salivary glands that produce saliva. But dissimilar to the salivary glands the functional and maturation process of mammary gland is very unique. Because mammary glands develop only after sexual maturation. Before sexual modulation, you don’t see anything. But even after sexual maturation, before pregnancies, In the mammary gland tissues, they’re just adipose tissues like fat tissues and mammary gland ducts. But in this time stage, the mammary gland does not produce milk, protein, anything. But during pregnancies, the mammary gland alveoli, which is located at the end of mammary gland ducts develop. And then after parturition during lactation the mammary gland alveoli structures develop more. And then after weaning, the fractions is disappeared.

So if the mother have two babies, they change, they shift this functional maturation process twice, and then end it.

Let me show you how mammary gland tissue structures is changed throughout the reproductive cycle. This slides show you the mammary gland tissue structures before pregnancy, after sexual maturation. The most of its tissues are adipose tissues. And you can only see some structures which is like circle. That is a mammary gland duct. But most tissues are again, adipose tissues. And during pregnancy, you see the structures developed around the adipose tissues. That is a very immature stage of mammary gland alveoli which is a place for milk productions.

And after parturition, the alveoli structures develop more. And in this developmental process, it’s more accelerated during lactation. One week after parturition, two weeks after parturition then after weaning, it’s gone. So you can see the mammary gland epithelial cells in mammary gland alveoli. That is the cells which has a responsibility to produce milk proteins.

So you can now learn how the mammary gland tissue develops throughout the productive cycle. During pregnancy, again, you see the development of mammary gland alveoli. But this is still immature, and after parturition, the structures develop more. Then weaning, it is disappeared.