Why do men have nipples? Why do men need nipples? Why do men have nipples - what is their purpose?

Nature created human body perfect, each organ is called upon to perform its function. But the presence of some parts of our body makes us think about their appropriateness.

Why do men have nipples - what is their purpose?

Why do men who are not breastfeeding need them? Let's consider the most common versions of their necessity. Let us immediately make a reservation that none of the versions is a scientifically proven fact.

So, according to one version, men need nipples for beauty. Indeed, a representative of the stronger sex without this part of the body looks, to put it mildly, not aesthetically pleasing. But the concepts of aesthetics and beauty are purely human, existing only in the minds of people. In nature, everything is thought out, and each organ plays a specific role necessary to ensure and continue life on earth.

For the same reason, the version that nipples are necessary to cause pain and injury (if you grab the enemy by them and twist them) seems unfounded.

Many people view nipples as an erogenous zone. But men have enough other organs involved in arousal and the occurrence of sexual desire. Some men are generally irritated by any touch to the chest. Some view the presence of nipples as a “legacy” from the distant past, when all people were asexual beings. According to this version, the nipple is an organ that has lost its functions in the process of human development (rudiment).

An interesting fact is that theoretically, males can have milk for breastfeeding. But masculine hormonal background does not create for this favorable conditions. A certain amount is required for complete feeding. female hormones(estrogens). In fact, in life and medical practice There are men with abnormally enlarged breasts. This phenomenon is called gynecomastia and is associated with excess estrogen in the body and hormonal abnormalities. Gynecomastia is common in alcoholism.

Normally, the development of the mammary glands and nipples in boys is inhibited by early stages, and they take on the unfinished appearance of a woman's breasts. Main function chest protection remains internal organs(primarily the heart and lungs) from external unfavorable factors.

The version about the intrauterine formation of nipples is scientifically substantiated. According to scientists, between 10 and 15 weeks of fetal development, male and female embryos are exactly the same. After this period, a surge of hormones occurs, which are determined by the presence of male or female chromosomes in the fetus. After this, the formation of sexual differences occurs.

Nipples, along with arms, legs and other body parts, appear in fetuses of both sexes before the hormonal explosion. Thus, the presence of nipples in men is explained biological processes embryonic development fetus

Nature created the human body perfect, each organ is designed to perform its function. But the presence of some parts of our body makes us think about their appropriateness.

Why do men have nipples - what is their purpose?

For the same reason, the version that nipples are necessary to cause pain and injury (if you grab the enemy by them and twist them) seems unfounded.
Many people view nipples as an erogenous zone. But men have enough other organs involved in arousal and the emergence of sexual desire. Some men are generally irritated by any touch to the chest. Some view the presence of nipples as a “legacy” from the distant past, when all people were asexual beings. According to this version, the nipple is an organ that has lost its functions in the process of human development (rudiment).

An interesting fact is that theoretically, males can have milk for breastfeeding. But the male hormonal background does not create favorable conditions for this. For proper feeding, a certain amount of female hormones (estrogens) is necessary. In fact, in life and medical practice there are men with abnormally enlarged breasts. This phenomenon is called gynecomastia and is associated with excess estrogen in the body and hormonal abnormalities. Gynecomastia is common in alcoholism.

Normally, the development of the mammary glands and nipples in boys is inhibited in the early stages, and they take on the unfinished appearance of female breasts. The main function of the chest remains the protection of internal organs (primarily the heart and lungs) from external adverse factors.

Nipples, along with arms, legs and other body parts, appear in fetuses of both sexes before the hormonal explosion. Thus, the presence of nipples in men is explained by the biological processes of the embryonic development of the fetus.

Many people are interested in why representatives of the stronger sex need such a seemingly unnecessary part of the body as nipples. For women, they perform a very specific role - they facilitate the process of feeding newborns. Men, due to the absence of such a function, do not seem to need this rudimentary organ. Then the question quite legitimately arises: why does nature provide males with nipples?

Erogenous zone

For some men, nipples are one of the erogenous zones, the irritation of which increases sexual arousal. But this doesn't apply to everyone. About 42% of gentlemen regard touching their nipples as unpleasant and even irritating. There are also those for whom this zone does not play any role sexually. So it is impossible to call the sensitivity of the nipples and their role in sexual relations a sufficient reason for the mandatory presence of this organ in men.

Intrauterine development

In fact, nipples are a common and obligatory organ for both males and females due to their characteristics intrauterine development. They begin to form in the embryo before the seventh week. During the first 6-7 weeks, all human embryos develop according to a common model - female. At this time, the main organs and parts of the body are formed: the rudiments of arms, legs, eyes, ears, nipples and everything else, except the genitals.

Only after the seventh week do the unborn child experience major changes, provoking the formation of genital organs. If the embryo is male, a hormone called androsterone begins to be produced in the blood. Under its influence, the genital tubercle gradually turns into the penis, and the folds in the groin area into the scrotum.

In this case, the nipples do not disappear anywhere, but simply remain with the fetus as required attribute genus of mammals. In addition to the nipples themselves, all boys still have some tissue left after the first seven weeks of “female” development. mammary glands. It is for this reason that in puberty because of hormonal changes In young men, the breasts in the nipple area swell slightly.

Evolutionary process

There is an opinion that over time, nipples in men can completely disappear, just as a person’s tail disappeared, leaving only the coccyx bone as a “memento.” But the fact is that the tail disappeared due to its complete uselessness, neither male nor females. During the intrauterine development of the fetus, you can notice how a certain semblance of a tail gradually disappears with the growth of the embryo and transforms into a tailbone.

But this story does not apply to the nipples, which, upon completion of the full formation and maturation of the body, play a very specific role, albeit exclusively in females. Unless a person, after millions of years, transforms into some other organism and begins, for example, to lay eggs or reproduce by budding (which is unlikely), nipples in men will never disappear.

Other versions

People have been thinking about why nipples are needed on a man’s body for a long time and trying to explain their presence from the point of view, for example, of aesthetics, because it is very difficult to imagine a man without nipples. But nature does not care about external attractiveness, but about the vital activity and protection of the body, so the idea of the beauty of the body hardly justifies the presence of nipples in men.

From the point of view of protecting the body, they tried to explain the function of the nipples by saying that they are very sensitive and are one of the most vulnerable areas on the human body. In a fight with an enemy, it is very easy to cause damage with their help. severe pain. But again the question arises: would nature “give” a man nipples just for this? After all, there are more sensitive places for injury. But still muscle and nipples in men and perform protective function: They protect the lungs and heart from damage.

Some observations attribute a signaling function to nipples on a man’s body. An analogy is drawn with the most developed mammals, such as primates, who show their breasts with swollen nipples to the enemy, expressing with this action aggression and readiness for battle. Apparently, male nipples also had a similar purpose. early stages human development.

Let's sum it up

So, why do men need nipples? The nipple in men, along with such organs as the appendix, coccyx or wisdom tooth, is classified as vestigial organs– those that, during evolution, ceased to perform any functions, but remained in the human body. The mammary glands do not perform any vital functions important function in the body of a man, which means he does not need nipples, but any man is the owner of this part of the body.

Well, in the end, a man without nipples looks like a freak

Everyone has asked themselves a similar question at least once. Women need nipples for lactation and feeding their baby. During pregnancy, the mammary glands are rebuilt and prepared to produce milk, the nipples also change, they can change shape and color, but all this is necessary for the comfort of the unborn baby. That is, no one has questions about the functions on a woman’s body. However, what about male body, why do men need nipples?

There are many different myths on this topic. Below are some of them:

It is believed that nipples are an erogenous zone in men. There is some truth to this, as some men actually enjoy having their nipples touched and caressed. But most males are either neutral about having their nipples touched, and there are those for whom such actions cause very unpleasant sensations;
Nipples as an element of aesthetics. In other words, they were invented for the beauty of the male torso. This is absolutely false. And although male body without nipples it would look more than strange, but in our body there are no organs or parts that do not perform any functions other than aesthetic ones;
Nipples like pain point. This opinion is also erroneous, since the human body has many sensitive organs, such as eyes, tongue, groin area in men;
There is also an opinion that nipples are direct evidence that in the distant past people descended from hermaphrodites. Following this version, it becomes clear that in this case our ancestors, being both men and women, breastfed their offspring. This version is more fantastic, since there is no scientific evidence for this;

Scientific answer

Having dealt with the most common misconceptions about why men have nipples, let’s move on to the scientific information available to us on this topic. The answer, of course, is. And it's quite simple.

It's all about the complex physiological processes human intrauterine development. Relying on school course geneticists can absolutely say that out of 23 pairs of chromosomes in both men and women, 22 are absolutely identical. And here is the last pair, causing gender, is different for men and women. The female set is “XX”, and the male set is “XY”. During the first weeks of pregnancy, the Y chromosome does not yet show its activity, and the embryo develops according to the female type.

From the 8th week of pregnancy, the gene set of the Y chromosome is activated, which causes further restructuring of all fetal systems according to male type. But since the formation and formation of nipples occurs in the first month of pregnancy, this explains why men have nipples.

It is also worth noting that men not only have nipples, but also a small amount glandular tissue. This tissue can respond to a significant increase in the level of female hormones in the body (especially estrogen). With such hormonal imbalances the phenomenon of gynecomastia is observed. Men's breasts begin to swell. Against this background, it is even possible to develop tumors of glandular tissue in men.

With a better understanding of the structure and physiology of the male breast, the question arises: can a man produce milk? There is no exact answer to this question yet, but scientists believe that under a certain hormonal effects on the body and this is possible.

Instead of output

So, let's summarize. Now we understand why men have nipples. And although male nipples cannot serve the high purpose of feeding a newborn, this does not mean that they are completely useless. Let's give a few examples.

You can use your nipples as one way of expressing yourself. There are a lot of ideas and opportunities for this. And one of the most popular is piercing. Every man can choose suitable jewelry for himself and thereby emphasize his temperament and individuality;
The next way of self-expression is tattoos on the chest. The nipple can become one of the elements or even the central image of an intricate design;
If you are one of those lucky men who enjoy nipple caressing, there is no need to be shy about it. Be sure to let your partner know this and make full use of your sensitive nipples during sex;

And although, as we have already found out, the nipples on our body were not created for aesthetic purposes, the naked male torso is still beautiful and harmonious, and the nipples only emphasize the developed pectoral muscles of the stronger sex.

Despite the fact that it is the 21st century and many issues have long been discussed openly and without embarrassment, there are still some nuances that we still talk about “in a whisper.”

We often turn to the online community for help, wanting to simultaneously satisfy our interest and remain incognito. Among these intimate issues You may find yourself wanting to know more about the reasons why nipples stand up and how this happens.

Simple physiology: how does nipple erection occur?

Each of us visually has a very good idea of our breasts. At the same time, clearly distinguishing and defining: this is a man’s breast, and this is a woman’s. But not everyone knows that the chest contains many nerve endings, which are located around muscle structures.

External stimuli provoke contraction of these muscle fibers, which ultimately leads to erection of the nipples.

So, for example, speaking about physical arousal, the mechanism of “nipple erection” can be described approximately like this:

Touching causes irritation of nerve endings.
In the process of this, it is formed nerve impulse, which is sent to the brain.
After it is processed by the brain, there is an increase in blood flow to the mammary glands, including to the nipples.
As a result, the nipples harden and “stand up.”

If changes in the breast occur due to cold, then the essence of nipple erection in this case comes down to spasms of muscle fibers that form goosebumps on the skin: the muscles contract and a change in shape, and sometimes even the color of the nipple, as well as the skin around it, occurs.

When is nipple erection a normal reflex?

So, you ask: is nipple hardening always a normal occurrence? And what is “the norm” in this case, and what is a deviation from it?

The answers to these and other questions are contained in the reasons for erect nipples and, oddly enough, in the frequency of repetitions of this reaction. In this case, you should be especially attentive to the fact that the “female” reasons are somewhat different from the “male” ones.

What can cause nipple erection in women?

The reasons for erect nipples in women include:

Temperature changes

Many people have probably noticed that due to a decrease in air or water temperature, women's nipples become sensitive and stick out - this is a standard reaction to cold. However, this effect does not gradual decline temperature, and its sudden changes, in most cases, are unpleasant and uncomfortable for the female body.

Sexual desire

Anticipation of sex, foreplay/preparation for sexual intercourse, sex itself is the most common cause of hardened nipples, and one of the main signs (indicators) of arousal in women, often confirming pleasure from the process. Most often it occurs as a reaction to stroking and touching.

Pregnancy period

During pregnancy, breasts generally change. Naturally, both the nipples and areola change. Nipples may increase in size, become rough, and their sensitivity increases.

In some cases it is possible painful sensations in the entire breast, or individual parts, including the nipples. There is no need to worry about this - most often this is a normal physiological reaction to changes occurring in the body. But, if you notice that the pain is getting worse, then you should urgently consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Premenstrual syndrome

Nipple sensitivity may be one of the PMS symptoms. Before starting a new one menstrual cycle(the day before critical days) For many women, the breasts seem to swell, gain weight, they note an increase in the sensitivity of the nipples, and that they can periodically stand up.

As with pregnancy, you should not rush to the hospital at the slightest change. But if the sensitivity of the nipples is accompanied by pain, which remains even after menstruation, then you should not delay visiting a specialist. Remember, the diagnosis will provide timely treatment mammary glands.

Incorrectly selected underwear

If the bra size is larger than the girl needs, the nipples may rub against it inner surface, harden, become rough and “stand up”.

Spontaneous nipple erection

This happens rarely and not for all women. This reaction is not associated with thoughts, feelings or sensations. Usually does not last long, but at the same time it may recur throughout the day.

Psychological state/nervous agitation/tension

Individual characteristics nervous system can sometimes be expressed in the fact that female breast hardens, and the nipples “stand up”.

What reasons can cause hard nipples in men?

The reasons for erect male nipples can be described as follows:

Excitation

This is where nipple hardening in men converges with women's reaction to sex. Sometimes nipples can be one of a man’s strong erogenous zones, although this is considered rare and does not occur in everyone.

Puberty

Nipples may become hard due to hormonal changes. As you know, the reactions of a teenager’s body during puberty are unstable, so erection of the nipples can occur completely arbitrarily, either for a couple of minutes or for a longer time.

Intoxication

When the level of alcohol in the blood exceeds, men often have nipples that stick out, but the areolas decrease in size.

Temperature changes

Erection of the nipples can occur from cold: be a reaction to interaction with ice, cold water and cold objects.

Diseases

In some cases, “raised” nipples in a man indicate the presence of viruses in the body or are a consequence inflammatory process in organism. During self-examination, you need to pay attention to whether there are any discharges from the chest, especially purulent ones.

If they are available, you need to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible, without postponing the visit.

In what cases should you urgently visit a doctor?

Having studied the reasons for erect nipples, we can say that almost all of them are normal and harmless. Don't panic, get upset or embarrassed if your nipples become erect - this is physiology. But there are still cases when you need to pay close attention to your body.

We have already mentioned discharge from the nipples above - if there is any, then you should consult a doctor immediately. In addition, evidence of ill health can include itching in the nipples, redness or other changes noticeable during self-examination.

It is advisable to describe such deviations by seeking help and advice from a specialist.

Remember that when it comes to health, it is better to play it safe and rule out a disease than to ignore a seemingly insignificant symptom and trigger the disease.