
There are no muscles within the breasts, but the pectoral muscles lie underneath and support them. The breasts move with these muscles, which extend from the breastbone up to the collarbone and into the armpit. The way breasts look and feel varies from person to person, and can be floppy, firm, spongy or smooth. The shape and size of breasts depend on heredity, weight and supporting ligaments. Breasts with a higher proportion of fibrous tissue will feel firm and retain their shape, while those with a higher proportion of fatty tissue will feel softer and may be pendulous.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lumpiness | May be caused by the muscles under the breasts |
| Firmness | Caused by a high proportion of fibrous tissue |
| Softness | Caused by a high proportion of fatty tissue |
| Floppiness | Caused by a high proportion of fatty tissue |
| Smoothness | Caused by a high proportion of fibrous tissue |
| Sponginess | Caused by a high proportion of fatty tissue |
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What You'll Learn
- Breasts lie on top of the pectoral muscles and are attached to them
- Breasts are supported by fibrous, semi-elastic bands of tissue called Cooper's ligaments
- Breasts are surrounded by two chains of lymph nodes
- Breasts can feel lumpy due to the muscles underneath them
- The shape and size of breasts depend on heredity, weight and supporting ligaments

Breasts lie on top of the pectoral muscles and are attached to them
The way breasts look and feel varies from one person to the next. They can be floppy, firm, spongy, or smooth. The way they look and feel may change depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle and at different times of your life. For example, breast pain is a common breast problem in younger women who are still having their periods, and it happens less often in older women.
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Breasts are supported by fibrous, semi-elastic bands of tissue called Cooper's ligaments
There are no muscles in the breasts, but muscles lie under each breast and cover the ribs. These muscles can sometimes make the breasts feel lumpy, especially in women with small breasts or who are thin. The breasts move with these muscles, which extend from the breastbone up to the collarbone and into the armpit.
The shape and size of breasts can vary from person to person and may change depending on factors such as heredity, weight, and hormonal variations. It is important to know what is normal for your body to help notice any changes, such as lumps, which may indicate a problem.
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Breasts are surrounded by two chains of lymph nodes
While there are no muscles within the breasts, they are surrounded by muscles that lie underneath and cover the ribs. The breasts move with these muscles, which extend from the breastbone up to the collarbone and into the armpit. The pectoral muscles do the major work of the upper arm and shoulder. The breasts are also surrounded by two chains of lymph nodes – small, kidney-shaped glands that defend the body against disease and infection by filtering out invading organisms from surrounding tissues.
The way breasts feel varies from one person to the next. They can be floppy, firm, spongy or smooth. The feel of the breasts may also change depending on where a person is in their menstrual cycle and at different times of their life. The shape and size of the breasts depend on heredity, weight and the supporting ligaments. If the proportion of fibrous tissue is high, the ligaments will be strong and not excessively stretched, and the breasts will feel firm and retain their shape. If the proportion of fatty tissue is higher, the breasts are heavy or pendulous and feel softer.
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Breasts can feel lumpy due to the muscles underneath them
The way breasts look and feel varies from person to person. They can be floppy, firm, spongy, or smooth, and this may change depending on where a person is in their menstrual cycle and at different times of their life. Breast pain is a common problem in younger women who are still having their periods, and it happens less often in older women.
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The shape and size of breasts depend on heredity, weight and supporting ligaments
There are no muscles within the breasts, but muscles lie under each breast and cover the ribs. The breasts move with these muscles, which extend from the breastbone up to the collarbone and into the armpit. The shape and size of breasts depend on heredity, weight and supporting ligaments. The breasts are surrounded by two chains of lymph nodes – small, kidney-shaped glands that defend the body against disease and infection by filtering out invading organisms from surrounding tissues.
The way breasts look and feel varies from one person to the next. From floppy to firm and spongy to smooth, there’s no right and wrong. The way breasts look and feel may change depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle and at different times of your life. For example, breast pain is a common problem in younger women who are still having their periods, and happens less often in older women.
The breasts are supported by a framework of fibrous, semi-elastic bands of tissue called Cooper's ligaments. If the proportion of fibrous tissue is high, ligaments will be strong and not excessively stretched and the breasts will feel firm and retain their shape. If the proportion of fatty tissue is higher, breasts are heavy or pendulous and feel softer.
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Frequently asked questions
There are no muscles within the breasts, but muscles lie under each breast and cover the ribs. These muscles can make the breasts feel lumpy.
The lumpiness may be due to the normal structures inside the breasts, such as the fibrous, semi-elastic bands of tissue called Cooper's ligaments, which support the breasts.
The way breasts feel can vary depending on factors such as heredity, weight, and the menstrual cycle.
Yes, the breasts lie on top of and are attached to the pectoral muscles on the front of the chest.


































