chefranden Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Breast beginnings Category: Development • Evolution • Molecular Biology • Reproduction • Science Posted on: May 19, 2006 11:49 AM, by PZ Myers Four of my favorite things are development, evolution, and breasts, and now I have an article that ties them all together in one pretty package. It's a speculative story at this point, but the weight of the evidence marshaled in support of the premise is impressive: the mammalian breast first evolved as an immunoprotective gland that produced bacteriocidal secretions to protect the skin and secondarily eggs and infants, and that lactation is a highly derived kind of inflammation response. That mammary glands may have had their origin as inflamed glands suppurating mucus may not be the most romantic image to arise in a scientific study, but really—they got better and better over the years. Vorbach et al. have carried out a descriptive analysis of the elements of breast milk and lactation and come to this conclusion on the basis of three general lines of evidence. * Immunoprotective proteins are a significant component of breast milk. * The nutritional components of milk are synthesized by enzymes that are derived from immunoprotective proteins. * Many of the molecular regulators of lactation are shared with inflammation pathways. Read the Rest: http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/05/breast_beginnings.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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