Purpose of Breasts

The breasts are wonderfully versatile body parts. They're built to be a baby's first source of nutrition. And they're also part of your sexuality, a sensitive area that, when touched, can give pleasure.

Breasts come in all different shapes, sizes and colors—all beautiful in their own way. So, stop worrying about how your breasts compare to others! Even though breasts may look different, they all have pretty much the same parts.

The light pink to dark brown circle in the center of each breast is called the areola. The raised up area at the center of the areola is the nipple. Some girls also have smaller bumps in the areola, like goose bumps, and some have hair growing out of the areola—all of it normal. Some girls have very large areolas while some are very small. Some girls have nipples that stick out, and others have ones that never surface. Some breasts are round and others are long.

Breasts play a dual role. Inside, breasts are made up of fatty tissue and milk ducts. When a mother decides to breast-feed, her baby receives not only nutrition but also protective antibodies from her breast milk. While not all women choose to breast-feed, most doctors agree that it is the best form of nutrition for babies.

Breasts are also sexual. When they're touched, the nipples often fill with blood and become firm. This can also happen when a girl is sexually excited or cold.