basically like. why do women just have breasts all the time when to my knowledge the only purpose of them is to feed children. why don’t they go away like other mammals’ when you haven’t had a child.
In: Biology
Cows have udders and my dog has nipples when not pregnant. It may be true that my dog’s mammaries are much smaller when not pregnant. They are still there.
So the premise of the question is false.
The mammary glands are all ready to go, having grown with secretion ducts and what not all in the correct organization. With reproduction active, they certainly can swell and “grow”, but this is not the same as growing a new body part.
Body growth is required to happen during normal development, because complex multicellular organisms do not spontaneously grow new body parts. That’s why mammaries grow before pregnancy. You would be correct that it is not necessary before pregnancy from a logical point of view. Puberty is the final step in development into a full grown organism. That’s simply how it works.
I’m anticipating someone will come along and say “the breasts are formed in the male as well, this proves they are already existing and don’t need to grow during puberty.” Again, the critical issue is that our bodies develop according to a plan. Gestation, childhood, puberty. Then you’re full grown. Puberty prepares you for reproduction.
Latest Answers