What are people's nipples called? Why do men need nipples: several versions

It’s worth saying right away that the question “Why?” modern scientists cannot yet give an exact answer. However, there are several common - and erroneous - versions on this matter.

Male nipples are an erogenous zone that serves as arousal during sex. How reliable is this answer? If you conduct a survey among representatives of the stronger sex, you can hear different answers - positive, negative, and neutral. Not everyone is turned on by having their nipples caressed. For some, touching this part of the chest can cause different feeling- from disgust to irritation.

Men need nipples for beauty. This stereotype has historically developed in the minds of many people. In most cases, the laws of nature are not aimed specifically at aesthetics, but all human organs and appearance his body “works” more to support life and survival. It is very difficult to imagine male breasts without nipples. At least in the human mind, a man without nipples looks unaesthetic. However, this version is unlikely to justify the presence of nipples.

This part of the body is needed in order to inflict damage on the enemy. severe pain and humiliation. It is known that it is a rather vulnerable and painful area. In addition, infliction of pain and a feeling of weakness in the understanding of representatives of the stronger sex is, in its own way, a humiliation of dignity. It is unlikely that any man will like it when his nipples are twisted, pinched or bitten. However, there are many more painful and vulnerable places on the body, the injuries of which can bring not only unbearable pain, but also disruption of the functioning of vital functions. important organs. To such vulnerable areas on male body This includes the penis and groin area.

The following answer to the question “Why does a man need nipples?” has mythical origins. According to this version, the first people were hermaphrodites who acquired sexual characteristics not immediately, but after some time. All hermaphrodites had breasts, but in men they stopped developing due to uselessness and remained in the form of nipples. However, this version also has no scientific basis and evidence.

According to early scientific theory, the original purpose of male nipples is to procreate. This version was based on the fact that female and male mammary glands have a similar structure, so an analogy can be drawn between them functional purpose.

Proponents of this theory argued that in the process of evolution, breastfeeding of offspring by males was not necessary, and because of this, the mammary glands of the stronger sex stopped developing. But if you look at other mammals, for example, you can say that males have never had the function of a “nurse.” Therefore, this version was considered erroneous.

Why do men need nipples: scientific version

Here's another answer. Until 10-15 weeks of fetal development, embryos do not yet have sexual differences. And only at this stage does a change in hormonal levels occur, and then, depending on whether the fetus is a girl or a boy, a change in hormonal levels occurs. The nipples themselves form much earlier than hormonal changes occur.

This scientific version explains that a man develops nipples, but is not able to accurately answer the question of whether a representative of the stronger sex needs them.

Why do women need breasts is clear - the mother must feed the baby with milk, which comes through the nipples. Men don’t feed their offspring - does that mean he doesn’t need her?

In small children, the mammary glands look the same. With age, under the influence of the hormone estrogen (produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands), the breasts develop. IN male body the hormone estrogen is also present (produced by the adrenal glands), but its quantity is not enough for the full development of breast tissue. Overdevelopment mammary glands– pathology, and gynecomastia. There are many causes of gynecomastia (more than 30), but the most common is an imbalance of testosterone-estrogens.

The breast tissue functionally protects the heart and lungs from damage. But the heart and lungs are protected even more hard fabric– bone, in the form of ribs.

There are many versions of having nipples in men - for external attractiveness, as an erogenous zone, as a vulnerable spot, and even mythical (we were all once hermaphrodites). In fact, the answer can be found by tracing human embryonic development. Until the 8th week of intrauterine life, there is no difference between male and female embryos. During this period, everyone has nipples. After 8 weeks, under the influence of hormones, the embryo begins to develop either in the female or in the male type, so both sexes have nipples. A similar process is observed in all mammals, including humans.

Sore nipples in men most often occur due to hormonal imbalances or due to the development of cancer mammary gland. Other causes of health deviations are diseases of the pituitary gland, testicles, adrenal glands, gynecomastia and diabetes mellitus.

Pain in the nipples in men as a sign of mastopathy

Sore nipples - not rare occurrence. Often deviation bothers them even in adolescence, which is explained by hormonal imbalance. Normal in puberty breasts should not develop, but as a result hormonal imbalance growing alveolar tissue in the breast can lead to an increase in its size. TO pain mucous membranes or purulent discharge from the nipples, as well as seal lymph nodes. Such changes serve as the basis for diagnosing “mastopathy”, and “gynecomastia” in adolescents.

Prevention of nipple diseases in men is to avoid bad habits, rational organization work and rest, proper nutrition. When doing all medical recommendations the disease will be successfully defeated.

Painful sensations in the nipples as a symptom of breast cancer in men

Nipple cancer usually develops in men over 60 years of age. Another name for the pathology is Paget's disease. The diagnosis is made easier by the fact that this malignant process does not develop rapidly, but gradually. Thus, the disease can be recognized at the earliest stages.

The first signs of nipple cancer in men are:
- itching and flaking;
- swelling;
- redness;
- appearance of erosion areas;
- enlarged lymph nodes in armpit from the side of the sore nipple;
- pain that increases due to the development of the oncological process.

In the presence of ulcers on and surrounding the areola, the male body is additionally affected bacterial infection. In this case for correct purpose treatment for nipple cancer should be differentiated from microbial eczema. But main feature Paget's disease is considered to be a rapid growth of gland tissue with subsequent spread to neighboring tissues.

Treatment of Paget's disease is carried out in oncology clinic. After surgical intervention The patient is prescribed courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Which doctor should a man see for nipple pain?

Despite increased sensitivity, nipples in men should not hurt. As the first alarming changes appear, you should contact a mammologist, oncologist, endocrinologist or urologist. If the identified cause of the disease is within the competence of a specific specialist, the patient will be diagnosed immediately or collected medical commission. As the factor that provoked the changes is identified, the patient will be offered an ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and donation of a piece of the affected tissue for histological examination.

Sources:

Why do men's nipples hurt?
Sore nipples in men: the reason is hormones
If men have sore nipples, a serious examination is required
Mastopathy - is there a risk for men?

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 an unfinished look female breast. 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

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 the 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 a male body without nipples would look more than strange, there are no organs or parts in our body 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. Based on the school course on genetics, we 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 the male type. But since the formation and formation of nipples occurs in the first month of pregnancy, this explains why men have nipples.

It's 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.

From school course anatomy, we know that the human body contains vestigial organs, which in the process of evolution “lost” their functionality as unnecessary, but remained in our body. These organs include, for example, the appendix, the coccygeal region of the spine (tailbone) or wisdom teeth. To this list you can add male nipples. Why does a man need nipples? , if they do not fulfill their intended purpose, like women?

The most common “folk” versions of why a man needs nipples

To the question “ Why does a man need nipples? ? scientists still cannot give an exact answer. However, popular rumor has its own strong opinion on this matter and expresses several versions.

A man's nipples are an erogenous zone that performs the function of arousal 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 aroused when their nipples are touched; for some, caressing this part of the chest can cause various sensations - from irritation to disgust.
A man needs nipples for beauty. Our consciousness has historically developed such a stereotype. Basically, the laws of nature are not “fixated” on aesthetics, and all our organs and appearance “work” more for survival and ensuring vital functions. However, it is difficult to imagine male breasts 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 cause him unbearable pain and moral humiliation in a fight with an opponent. 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 many more painful places on the body, the injuries of which bring not only unbearable pain, but also disruption of the functionality of organs. Such “painful” areas include groin area and penis.
Another answer is, rather, of mythical origin. According to him, the first people were hermaphrodites who did not immediately acquire sexual characteristics, but only after time. All hermaphrodites had breasts, but in men, due to uselessness, they stopped developing and remained in the form of nipples. Despite the existence of such a version, it does not have scientific basis and evidence.

The scientific version of “why does a man need nipples”

It is clear that none of the above versions contain any evidence. There is a scientific version of the answer to the question “ Why does a man need nipples? ».

According to the earliest scientific theory, the original purpose of nipples in men was breast-feeding offspring. This version was based on the fact that male and female mammary glands have the same structure, which means that an analogy can be drawn between their functional purpose. Adherents of this theory believed that in the process of evolution, breastfeeding of offspring by males was not necessary, and the mammary glands stopped developing. However, if you look at other mammals, for example, primates, you can see that males have never had the function of a “nurse”, like representatives of the “weaker” half. Therefore, this version was considered erroneous.

Knowledge about intrauterine development people give us accurate information about how and when mammary glands and nipples form. However, this knowledge does not give us a definite answer to the question “ Why does a man need nipples? ?”, so our answer can be based on unproven guesses and assumptions.

Initially, the embryo is asexual. The formation of sexual differences occurs in the 3-4th week of pregnancy, and the formation of the genital organs occurs in the 7th week. The mammary glands form before primary sexual characteristics. The division into male and female sex occurs under the influence of the embryo’s own hormones and the X or Y chromosomes, and at the embryonic stage of development the fetus acquires certain gender characteristics. This 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 the male body, the mammary glands do not perform any specific function. In other words, men do not need nipples, but representatives of the “stronger sex” are the “owners” of such a part of the body.

Signaling function of male nipples

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

Male nipples express “aggression”, forming a “second face” from the body. Nipples play a similar signaling role in 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 gaining respect. Drawing an analogy with large primates, the male nipples, framed by “fur” and highlighted in color, have the same function.

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.
WHY do men have nipples? 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.