Overview
The term breast refers to the raised mound of tissue that grows on the upper anterior ventral region of the human torso (front of the human chest) and breasts are also found on many other mammals.

While breasts are more visible on adult women, men also have breasts which are usually less prominent, however they are structurally identical to women's, as they develop from the same embryologic tissues. Male breasts are typically more prominent on obese men and breast growth in boys and men is becoming more common due to the hormonal influences of chemicals in our environment.

Female breasts come in many shapes and sizes and each breast is made up of mammary glands and milk ducts, which secrete milk used to feed new born babies, and a system of lymphatic nodes and ducts to remove body waste, and fatty tissue which makes up the bulk of the breast tissue.

Breast image courtesy of Wikipedea, click on the image to view full size.
Key: 1. Chest wall 2. Pectoralis muscles 3. Lobules 4. Nipple 5. Areola 6. Duct 7. Fatty tissue 8. Skin.

Each breast has a nipple surrounded by an areola which may vary in colour from pink to dark brown. The shape of the breasts has nothing to do with the function of breasts to produce milk. Breastfeeding.

Breasts in Society
Social attitudes toward female breasts differ in most countries and regions of the world. In the few remaining places where the people live close to the earth as hunter gatherers and the climate warm, the women do not cover their breasts. However in Western society, the breasts are seen as sexual body parts and it is forbidden to display them in public, yet throughout history there have been periods where displayed to denote femininity.