1: Breast Anatomy and Histology

Question 1

Which structures contain the glands found in the breast?

Answer 1

Breast lobules

Tubuloacinar glands, which drain to lactiferous ducts which then drain to the nipple

Question 2

Which connective tissue structures support fatty breast tissue?

Answer 2

Suspensory ligaments

Question 3

Which tissue surrounds the suspensory ligaments?

Answer 3

Adipose tissue

Question 4

What is a cutaneous sign of breast cancer?

Answer 4

Orange peel appearance

red, dimpled look

Question 5

What is a terminal duct lobular unit?

Answer 5

Functional unit of secretory breast tissue

Question 6

What structure does each lobule drain into before draining to the nipple?

Answer 6

Lactiferous duct

Question 7

What happen to breast lobules in pregnancy?

Answer 7

Lobules expand

Question 8

Which type of epithelial cell lines the lactiferous ducts of the breast?

Answer 8

Secretory epithelium

cuboidal at the start, squamous towards the nipple

Question 9

Which special cells are found in the secretory epithelium and help with secretion of breast milk?

Answer 9

Myoepithelial cells

Question 10

Which type of epithelium lines the larger ducts between the breast lobules and the nipple?

Answer 10

Stratified cuboidal epithelium

Question 11

Which terminally differentiated immune cells are found in the lactiferous ducts of the breast and produce antibodies?

Which specific antibody do they produce?

Answer 11

Plasma cells

IgA

Question 12

Which type of epithelium lines the lactiferous ducts at the level of the nipple?

Answer 12

Stratified squamous epithelium

Question 13

Which antibody is most commonly found in the blood?

Answer 13

IgG

Question 14

Which antibody is most commonly found in secretions?

Answer 14

IgA

Question 15

What happens to the proportions of connective tissue and adipose tissue in the breast during pregnancy?

Answer 15

Connective tissue decreases

Adipose tissue decreases

Question 16

Which hormones stimulate the expansion of breast lobules during pregnancy?

Answer 16

Oestrogen

Progesterone

Question 17

Which type of antibody is found in breast milk?

Answer 17

IgA

Question 18

How are lipids secreted into the lactiferous ducts?

What is this process called?

Answer 18

Lipids are enclosed in a membrane containing cell’s cytoplasm, which buds off - lipid is secreted into duct along with some cytoplasm

Apocrine secretion

Question 19

How are proteins secreted into the lactiferous ducts?

What is this process called?

Answer 19

Protein produced in rER (translation)

Then packaged in Golgi apparatus

And secreted in vesicles by exocytosis / merocrine secretion

Question 20

Which type of secretion is responsible for the release of

a) protein
b) lipids

into breast milk?

Answer 20

a) Protein - merocrine secretion (or exocytosis)

b) Lipid - apocrine secretion (vesicles with a bit of cytoplasm in it)

Question 21

What happens to the breast lobules in the menopause?

Answer 21

Degeneration

Question 22

Which breast structures are a common site of breast cancer?

Answer 22

Lactiferous ducts

specifically the epithelium - carcinoma

Question 23

What is the lactiferous sinus?

Answer 23

Expanded duct towards the nipple, where all the lactiferous ducts drain

Question 24

Which type of epithelium lines the nipple?

Answer 24

Keratinised stratified squamous epithelium

Question 25

One ___ ___ supplies each breast lobule.

Answer 25

lactiferous duct

Question 26

Mammary glands are similar to which other gland found in the body?

Answer 26

Sweat glands

To the point that they’re called ‘modified sweat glands’

Question 27

Which type of breast tissue proliferates in pregnancy?

Answer 27

Secretory tissue

so the lobules and ducts (including the glandular cells, epithelial cells and myoepithelial cells)

Question 28

During pregnancy, the terminal duct lobular units (secretory parts of the breast) become (larger / smaller).

Answer 28

larger