Catherine,

The description you gave of what happens to breast structures when women
wean is facinating. Can you tell me where I can read more about this?


Karleen Gribble
Australia
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>  When women wean, the milk producing cells go through a process called
> apoptosis. This is where the cells are programmed (as involution or
weaning
> occurs) to die a natural death without initial loss of structural
integrity=
> .
> This is followed by degradation of the extra cellular matrix and
eventually
> almost all of the mammary epithelium is reabsorbed.  Therefore, with each
> new lactation new lactocytes, alveoli and ductal systems will be formed.
> There is nothing to say they will differentiate and form in the same way
> they did with the previous lactation. Therefore storage capacity may be
> different for each breast from one lactation to the other.

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