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Melanin of the nipple areola complex
Vol 31, Issue 1, 2017
Abstract
Biological pigments or biochromes are ubiquitous in animals, plants, and simpler organisms such as fungi and bacteria. They serve a wide spectrum of functions from photosynthesis, camouflage, mimicry, photo protection from the environment to attracting mates. The human female nipple areola complex (NAC) is a highly-pigmented area. Currently, the prevailing theory as to the evolution of the pigmented human NAC is based on infant recognition of breast feeding latching zone; however, due to the protruding shape of the nipple and surrounding breast, the authors of this letter believe that the evolutionary advantage of the pigmented NAC has a direct physiological function, namely the initiation of involution at the end of the infant lactation period
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Copyright (c) 2017 A Goren, M Kovacevic, T Lotti
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Medical Genetics, University of Torino Medical School, Italy
Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Italy