The
breast is one of two prominences found on the upper
ventral region of the
torso of female and male
primates. In females, it serves as the
mammary gland, which produces and secretes
milk and feeds
infants. Both females and males develop breasts from the same
embryological tissues. At
puberty,
estrogens, in conjunction with
growth hormone, cause
breast development. Males do not develop pronounced or physiologically matured breasts because their bodies produce lower levels of estrogens and higher levels of
androgens, namely
testosterone, which suppress the effects of estrogens in developing breast tissue. The breasts of females are typically far more prominent than those of males.