I think the best way to understand the anatomy of a breast is to compare it to a tree.

Trees have a trunk and branches with leaves, and your breast isn't a great deal different than that. The milk ducts are the branches of the tree and the lobules are the fruit it bears (in this case, making milk). All the branches of the tree join at the trunk. The trunk in this case is the anatomical structure just beneath the nipple and areola.

Have you ever wondered why the areola around the nipple is darker than the rest of the skin of the breast? It's so that a newborn baby can see it. For the first few weeks of life, babies can only distinguish light from dark. The areola of a woman who has not yet had a baby is usually fairly light in color. During the pregnancy and upon delivery of the child, the mother's areola darkens so that the baby can find the nipple to nurse. Incredible how Mother Nature works, isn't it? To help the baby out even more, hundreds of tiny little muscles around the nipple's base cause it to become erect whenever it is touched or stimulated, thus giving the baby something to hold on to. .

Breast tissue starts out being firm but over time loses its elasticity. This is because the supporting ligaments within the tissue (called Cooper's ligaments) stretch out over time, causing the breasts to sag a bit. Nurses call this phenomenon "Cooper's droop" and it's a primary reason why women should wear a supportive bra - to help prevent the weight of the breasts' own tissue from stretching those ligaments prematurely.

As a woman ages and her hormone levels drop, breast tissue that was previously more fibrous is replaced with fatty tissue, making them even more spongy (and, often, also droopier). I saw a cute cartoon of an elderly woman standing in front of a counter with a sign that said "Bra Sale." She says to the sales clerk, "Can you help me find something in a 32 long?"

Now that you know the basics of breast anatomy, remember to check your trees monthly, making sure the trunk and branches can flourish and remain healthy.