why have males got nipples? Arn't they for feeding babies?

Answer 1

They're a mammalian characteristic. Gender differentiation doesn't override the basic template for mammals. Male/female is chromosomal. Other physical differences are mainly hormonal.

Answer 2

Without Nipples the Male Chest Looks Strange - The nipples provide a focus point for the male chest. They direct the eye to the curve of the pectoral muscle. Men and women are mammals (from the Latin mamma breast) a species that have breasts and feeds its young with milk. The human embryo has tissue that will evolve into breasts. Both male and female babies are born with nipples and ducts intact. It is the presence of genes that direct hormones to differentiate the breast tissue. The Y chromosome stimulates hormones such as testosterone to form male features. Insufficient or defective testosterone, poor tissue responsiveness, or an unbalance of other hormones like Estrogen and Prolactin can cause female like breasts even in men (Gynecomastia). At birth, the small amount of the mother's estrogen in the baby can result in small breasts that usually resolve. There can be an inbalance of hormones during male puberty that can result in temporary breast growth, which for most resolves. There are many medical problems and drugs that can cause male breast growth. The nipple is actually the central protrusion inside of the pigmented areola. There is a thin muscle just under the skin that when stimulated, tends to flatten the puffed male nipple areola. This muscle when stimulated in a breast feeding woman, projects the nipple for the baby. Nerves that innervate the nipple / areola can produce pleasure for both men and women. And this is my own note: Since you don't have a clitoris, you don't fully understand, I suppose. See, the whole purpose of sex is production. If something feels good, you tend to do it more often. Well, when the clitoris is stimulated, it feels good. Therefore, it promotes sex.

Answer 3

The answer is that as embryos men and women have similar tissues and body parts. If anything the embryo follows a 'female template'. That is why nipples are present in both sexes. It is the effect of the genes, the Y chromosome and the hormone testosterone that brings about the changes and masculinises the embryo. Testosterone promotes the growth of the penis and testicles. Because nipples are there before this process begins the nipples stay!

Answer 4

When we are conceived we all start out female, and it is the balance of hormones and chromosomes that establish if we will continue to grow as a male or female, loosing some bits or gaining others.
I personally think that at this point it is also established whether we would turn out gay or straight as you grow with the given type of body but the chemical balance leads you to have desires and feelings found more in the opposite sex.

Answer 5

Men can in some cases produce milk, too. This sometimes happens to boy babies due to their mother's hormones and is called "witches' milk". If you inject a man with the right hormones he can grow small breasts and even lactate. So all the biological structures are there, in both men and women. Men and women both have arms, hands ,eyes, etc....so there isn't anything too special about us both having 'breasts'. In our human culture, the breasts have a sexual association, making the concept of a lactating male seem unnatural, but it happens quite frequently.

The genitals on the other hand begin as identical structures in embryos, but when the male body begins to produce testosterone, the structures are destroyed and begin anew. Obviously, in their final form, they are very different, unlike breasts, whose main difference is size and hormones. Human development is a fascinating process. All human bodies begin as female, and are 'altered' hormonally into male bodies later on.

In some cases, genetic males (with one X and one Y chromosome) will fail to produce enough testosterone, causing them to be born with female (or female-ish) genitalia. Ultimately though, all men are 'transsexuals' because the female parts are default and must be removed and replaced with male parts. It's kind of bizarre, actually.

Answer 6

This has to be answered in evolutionary manner.

Nipples in man are examples of Vestigial organs. The nipples in case of women secrete milk due to presence of Prolactin, a hormone, only in women, which induces milk secretion after parturition(child birth). Also, the basic and cellular structures of nipples of man and woman are same. This proves that MAN EVOLVED FROM WOMAN.

Answer 7

the default condition for human beings (and probably all mammals) at conception is female it is at a later stage in development of the foetus that gender is decided and so the female nipple continues to develop and the male retains the non functioning vestige of a nipple

Answer 8

You could say that BREASTS are for feeding babies, but nipples, can be used as a way to control your body temp (kind of like the hairs on your arms). Its just something that males and females have in common, but with different uses.This is biblical, but it makes sense, god made woman from man (Adam and Eve) so of course men and women will have some similarities.

Answer 9

I was told the actual answer for this once. Something to do with evolution and forgetting to remove them from blokes, but apparently it's not to do with males being females first. I know this is a fairly useless answer but I know it's got something to do with evolution, I just wish I could remember it.

Answer 10

My understanding is that all babies start out as females. Boys at some point are "washed" in testosterone. The nipples are formed before that.