Why do men have nipples and what do they do? hello healthy

Humans are equipped with several parts of the body with their respective functions to support all their activities. In contrast to the sense organs with their vital uses, some other parts of the body just look trivial and seem useless. One that is often questioned is the nipple of men.

Well, not infrequently, men's nipples are often considered a part of the body useless aka useless. But it is impossible, right, that everything was created without a function? If the nipple functions for lactation or breastfeeding, then what is the function of the male's nipple? Check out the full explanation in this article.

Why do men have nipples?

Before knowing the reasons why men have nipples, it will be explained in advance how the process of male nipples is formed.

At the time of becoming an embryo, the male and female bodies have the same tissue and "mold". In fact, all embryos start out as females, which is why nipples are in both sexes.

Then as the womb gets older, there is the influence of genes, Y chromosomes, and the hormone testosterone which brings about changes in masculinity in male embryos. Testosterone increases the growth of the penis and testes. But because the nipples in the male embryo are there before this process begins, the nipples are still there even though they won't be able to enlarge when they enter puberty later. Well, this is the reason why men have nipples.

So, what is the function of male nipples?

In fact, male nipples do not have a specific function. Unlike in women whose function is to breastfeed, aka lactation, the function of the nipples in men is only for body protection. A man's nipples are believed to protect the heart and lungs. It is known, the nipple will be the first layer of protection for the heart and lungs when an accident occurs so as not to cause serious injury that can cause organ failure and even cause death.

However, male nipples actually function as a male erotic zone, which is a sensitive zone for stimulation during sexual intercourse. The dark area around the nipple, known as the areola, is known to contain nerves that are sensitive enough to induce sexual pleasure. Usually, women's nipples can enlarge and become erect when exposed to stimulation, but men's nipples will actually tighten when they have an orgasm.

Men and breast cancer

Men's breasts cannot enlarge like women's breasts and nipples. But breasts and nipples in men can also produce milk and develop breast cancer.

The level of the hormone estrogen that is usually found in women is also found in the male body. If there are certain conditions or diseases that affect hormones, then breast tissue in men can grow, which is called gynecomastia. This condition causes men's breasts to produce milk or breast milk.

Gynacomastia, or abnormal enlargement of the male breasts, is more commonly seen in adolescence, a time of development when hormones fluctuate a lot. It is also seen in some men with liver disease and sometimes in alcoholics.

x