Male nipples. Do men need nipples? Sore nipples as a symptom of breast cancer in men

Men cannot breastfeed, and yet they have nipples. There is still no definitive answer to the question of why men need nipples, but there are several hypotheses.

scientific theory

The modern science-based theory of why men have nipples is related to the prenatal development of the child. Let's remember how it is formed human body. IN early period the embryo does not yet have sexual characteristics, and various parts of the body (arms, legs, fingers, as well as nipples) are formed in everyone in the same way, regardless of what gender the child will have in the future. This occurs approximately between 3 and 7 weeks of development. And only after that, under the influence of its own hormones and a certain set of chromosomes, either female or male sexual characteristics begin to develop in the embryo. That is, the mammary glands appear in a small creature long before a surge of sex-forming hormones occurs. Probably, nature provides for such a feature of development to simplify the reproductive system ( exact reason science is unknown), but all individuals, regardless of gender, are endowed with such a body part as nipples.

Working out a large number The hormone estrogen provides women with breast enlargement and the ability to produce milk. Male breasts do not receive as much estrogen and therefore do not develop and function as they do in women. However, men have known cases of hormonal failure: too much estrogen is produced. Because of this, the breast may increase, which is a deviation from the norm and a reason to consult a doctor.

There are other versions of scientists about the function of the nipples in men. For example, for a long time it was believed that nature “intentioned” to endow the male body with the ability to feed offspring, but in the course of evolution this was not required, and the mammary glands in males ceased to develop. The theory was considered erroneous, because in no other mammals, males have ever had the ability to produce milk and feed their young.

mythical theory

In some ways, it echoes the scientific theory of why men have nipples, the mythical version of hermaphrodites. According to the myth, there were once creatures on earth that did not have male and female sexual characteristics and developed in the same way. Then, in the course of evolution, sexual differences appeared, and since women began to perform the function of feeding children, in men the breasts ceased to develop and only nipples remained. This theory also has not received scientific justification.

Other versions

People have been thinking about why nipples are needed on a man’s body for a long time and are trying to explain their presence in terms of, for example, 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 \u200b\u200bthe 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 the fact that they are very sensitive and are one of the most vulnerable areas on the human body. In a fight with the enemy, with their help it is very easy to inflict severe pain. But again the question arises: would nature “give” a man nipples just for this? After all, there are more sensitive places for mutilation. But still muscle and nipples in men and perform protective function: They protect the lungs and heart from damage.

There is an opinion that the nipple in men is just one of the erogenous zones that is needed to excite the body, but this theory is also not considered convincing and justified. According to surveys, not all men love caresses of this part of the body, but many, on the contrary, experience discomfort or cannot tolerate touching the nipples at all.

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

Summing up

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

From school course Anatomy, we know that in the human body there are rudimentary organs, which in the process of evolution, as unnecessary, “lost” their functionality, but remained in our body. Such organs include, for example, the appendix, the coccygeal spine (coccyx) or wisdom teeth. To this list one can add male nipples. Why do men need nipples if they do not fulfill their intended purpose, as in women?

The most common "folk" versions of why a man needs nipples

To the question " Why do men need nipples ? scientists still can not give an exact answer. However, popular rumor has its own strong opinion on this matter and expresses several versions.

Nipples in a man are an erogenous zone that performs the function of excitation in love games. Can this answer be trusted? If you conduct a survey among men, you can hear completely opposite answers - from positive to negative. Not all men are turned on when their nipples are touched; for some, caresses of this part of the chest can cause various sensations - from irritation to disgust.
A man needs nipples for beauty. Such a stereotype has been historically developed by our consciousness. Basically, the laws of nature are “not fixated” on aesthetics, and all our organs and appearance more "work" for survival and life support. However, it is difficult to imagine a male breast without nipples. At least in our minds, a man without nipples does not look aesthetically pleasing. This answer can justify the presence of nipples in men and answer the question " Why do men need nipples ?»
A man needs nipples in order to inflict unbearable pain and moral humiliation in a fight with the enemy. No one will argue that sensitive nipples are a rather painful and vulnerable area. In addition, the manifestation of pain and weakness in the concept of men is, in a way, a humiliation of dignity. What kind of man would like to have his nipples twisted, bitten or pinched? But if you believe this version, then there are much more painful places on the body, the injuries of which bring not only unbearable pain, but also a violation of the functionality of organs. These "painful" areas include inguinal zone and penis.
Another answer has, rather, a mythical origin. According to him, the first people were hermaphrodites, who did not immediately acquire sexual characteristics, but only after a while. All hermaphrodites had breasts, but in men, due to uselessness, it ceased to develop and remained in the form of nipples. Despite the existence of such a version, it does not have scientific rationale and evidence.

The scientific version of "why a man needs nipples"

It is clear that none of the above versions carries any evidence. Exists scientific version answer to the question " Why do men need nipples? ».

According to the earliest scientific theory, the original purpose of the nipples in men - breast-feeding offspring. This version was based on the fact that male and female mammary glands have the same structure, which means that you can draw an analogy between them. functional purpose. Adherents of this theory believed that in the process of evolution, breastfeeding of offspring by males was not needed, and the mammary glands ceased to develop. However, if you look at other mammals, such as primates, you can see that the males have never had the function of "nurse", as representatives of the "weak" half. Therefore, this version was considered erroneous.

Knowledge about intrauterine development a person is given to us exact information about how and when the mammary glands and nipples are formed. However, this knowledge does not give us a definite answer to the question " Why do men need nipples ?”, so our answer can be built on unproven conjectures and assumptions.

Initially, the embryo is asexual. The formation of sex differences occurs at the 3-4th week of pregnancy, and the laying of the genital organs - at the 7th. The mammary glands are formed before the primary sexual characteristics. The division into male and female occurs under the influence of the embryo's own hormones and X- or Y-chromosomes, and at the embryonic stage of development, the fetus acquires certain gender features. Such a sequence has its own meaning - nature initially "took care" of simplifying reproductive system. Regardless of gender, everyone has nipples - both men and women, and gender differences concern only the reproductive system.

IN male body mammary glands do not perform any specific function. In other words, men do not need nipples, but the representatives of the "stronger sex" are the "owners" of such a part of the body.

Signaling function of male nipples

Even though we found different explanation presence of nipples male body- from an erogenous to an aesthetic element, most often, the nipples carry a signal load.

Male nipples express "aggression", forming a "second person" from the body. A similar signaling role is played by the nipples of terrestrial primates, such as gorillas. Sticking out their chests with swollen nipples, they show the enemy their fighting spirit and aggression, knocking out a place for themselves in social group and seeking respect. Drawing an analogy with large primates, the male nipples framed by “wool” and highlighted in color carry the same function.

Have you ever wondered why men need nipples? This question may sound stupid, but it's actually quite important. You and I know very well that unnecessary organs not in our body. The nipples are not a vestige (an organ that has lost its function in the evolutionary process). Men's nipples were never meant for anything, they didn't need them at all. So why do men have nipples? We will try to explain everything to you!

And here are the known versions we know:

1) Nipples are needed for beauty. After all, a person who would not have nipples would look very strange and ridiculous, but this opinion is formed on the basis of generally accepted norms. In addition, our body does not have organs that carry only aesthetic value.

2) Nipples as an erogenous zone. This version is very controversial, since there are already enough erogenous zones, especially since most men are completely unpleasant to touch their nipples.

3) The area of the nipples in men is an unprotected area. If you touch, pinch or press on them, the man will certainly feel pain. But if you think about it, then why is such an unprotected zone for the strong half of humanity? It should be added that the inguinal zone is also a similar area. When hit in the inguinal zone, the feeling of pain is several times stronger.

4) Not quite a real version. It talks about the fact that all people on earth once upon a time were hermaphrodites. And only then, after many years, they began to acquire different sexual characteristics. And it turned out that all the people of that era had breasts. But then the breasts ceased to form in males, due to the fact that they did not need it, while the nipples remained where they were. But given the unreality of this theory, science does not support it.

5) The last point of view is as follows. Until the fourteenth week of intrauterine fetal maturation, the human fetus has no sexual characteristics. Already after the above period, the human embryo is endowed with hormones. The father of the child gives him the X or Y chromosome. Under the influence of these chromosomes, the embryo acquires male or female signs. And the papillary region is formed significantly earlier named sex differences. This is the secret of the fact that both girls and boys are born with nipples.

Summing up, it turns out that men have nipples due to the initial asexuality of the embryo, and he does not need them, except perhaps for piercing.

Option number 5 is closest to the truth, since such processes occur not only with humans, but also with mammals (both sexes have nipples).

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

Erogenous zone

In some men, the nipples are one of the erogenous zones, the irritation of which increases sexual arousal. But this does not apply to everyone. About 42% of gentlemen regard nipple touching as unpleasant and even annoying. There are those for whom this zone does not play any role in sexual terms. 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 the peculiarities of intrauterine development. They begin to form in the embryo before the seventh week. The first 6-7 weeks, all human embryos develop according to a common model - the female one. At this time, the main organs and parts of the body are laid: the rudiments of arms, legs, eyes, ears, nipples and everything else, except for the genitals.

Only after the seventh week in the body of the unborn child occur 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 a penis, and the folds into inguinal region- in the scrotum.

At the same time, the nipples do not disappear anywhere, but simply remain with the fetus as required attribute genus of mammals. In addition to the actual nipples, all boys from the first seven weeks of "female" development also have some tissue left. mammary glands. It is for this reason that in puberty because of hormonal changes in young men, the chest swells a little in the area of \u200b\u200bthe nipples.

evolutionary process

There is an opinion that over time, the nipples in men can completely disappear, just as the tail disappeared in a person, leaving only the coccygeal bone as a “memory”. But the fact is that the tail disappeared due to the complete uselessness of either male or females. In the intrauterine development of the fetus, one can notice how a kind of tail gradually disappears with the growth of the embryo and is transformed into a coccyx.

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

Other versions

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

Some observations attribute a signaling function to the nipples on a man's body. An analogy is drawn with the most developed mammals, such as primates, which demonstrate their breasts with swollen nipples to the enemy, expressing aggression and readiness for battle by this action. Apparently, a similar purpose was in male nipples in the early stages of human development.

Summing up

So why do men need nipples? The nipple in men, along with organs such as the appendix, coccyx or wisdom tooth, are classified as rudimentary organs - those that, during evolution, ceased to perform any functions, but remained in the human body. The mammary glands do not perform any vital function in the body of a man, which means that 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

It is clear that women need nipples for feeding children, so they are vital for the fair sex. But why do men need them, what function do they perform? According to Darwin's theory, in fact, men should not have them, and yet they are. What's the matter?

Why do men need nipples?

Many people ask themselves this unusual and interest Ask. Although if itching, do they really have to perform any function? After all, for example, birthmarks do not perform a single function, so why should nipples? In fact, men could well do without nipples, they absolutely do not need them. But still they are, although they are of no use.

In fact, the embryo of both a man and a woman has the same tissues and body parts, and this explains the presence of nipples. They also appear on early dates fetal development in the womb.

Their appearance is explained by the presence of Y chromosomes and the hormone testosterone in the body, which together can change the embryo. The nipples and breast tissue do not perform any function.

Interesting fact - some men are born without nipples, but this phenomenon is very rare. It is generally accepted that breast cancer can only be in women, although in fact men also suffer from this disease, but much less often.

Breast and nipple enlargement in men

Did you know that male breasts can increase in size and nipples can swell? This is due to the presence of a large number female hormone estrogen. It is in the body of any man, but some representatives of the stronger sex have too much of it. There are many reasons - starting malnutrition and ending with violations hormonal background. This phenomenon in medicine is called "gynecomastia". As a result, a man's chest becomes not only larger, but also flabby. In especially neglected cases, a liquid begins to stand out from it, at first glance resembling milk. Most often, gynecomastia is diagnosed in adolescence, but there are such cases among adult men.

Check out our publication Symptoms and Treatment of Gynecomastia

Can a man breastfeed?

Of course, men cannot breastfeed, it is unnatural and violates the laws of nature. But as we said above, a small amount can be released from the nipples breast milk. This indicates a violation of the processes in the body - in the male body there are too many female hormones and too little testosterone.

In history, there have been cases when men began to secrete breast milk due to the fact that there was a baby in the house. This can really happen, the release of milk is associated with an increase in the female hormone and this happens unconsciously.

third nipple

Also, many men have a third nipple, it looks more like birthmark. Although it seems very strange, official statistics, the third nipple is in 1 man out of 50.

Disputes about the benefits of nipples in men and what function they perform have been going on for several decades, or even hundreds of years. Alas, scientists have not been able to come to a common denominator and do not know exactly why men have nipples. Most physicians and researchers believe that they are completely useless and, perhaps, in the process of evolution in a few decades they will disappear.