Supernumerary nipple
Encyclopedia
A supernumerary nipple is an additional
nipple
occurring in mammal
s, including human
s. Often mistaken for moles
, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 18 males and 1 in approximately 50 female humans.
The nipples appear along the two vertical "milk line
s", which start in the armpit on each side, run down through the typical nipples and end at the groin. They are classified into eight levels of completeness from a simple patch of hair to a milk-bearing breast
in miniature.
Polythelia refers to the presence of an additional nipple alone while polymastia
denotes the much rarer presence of additional mammary gland
s.
Although usually presenting on the milk line, pseudomamma can appear as far away as the foot.
A possible relationship with mitral valve prolapse
has been proposed.
, an extra nipple was held to be indicative that the woman concerned was a witch - the nipple being used to suckle the devil
.
Supernumerary body part
Supernumerary body parts are most commonly a congenital disorder involving the growth of an additional part of the body and a deviation from the body plan. Body parts may be easily visible or hidden away, such as internal organs....
nipple
Nipple
In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
occurring in mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, including human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s. Often mistaken for moles
Mole (skin marking)
A melanocytic nevus is a type of lesion that contains nevus cells .Some sources equate the term mole with "melanocytic nevus". Other sources reserve the term "mole" for other purposes....
, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 18 males and 1 in approximately 50 female humans.
The nipples appear along the two vertical "milk line
Milk line
The milk lines are two parallel lines, formed by thickenings of the epidermis along the ventral surface of mammals of both sexes. They extend from the upper limbs to the lower limbs and are developed in the embryo...
s", which start in the armpit on each side, run down through the typical nipples and end at the groin. They are classified into eight levels of completeness from a simple patch of hair to a milk-bearing breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
in miniature.
| type | glandular tissue Gland A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release of substances such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface .- Types :... |
nipple Nipple In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and... |
areola Areola This article is about the breast tissue. For the entomology term, see the glossary of Lepidopteran terms. For an artistic cloud motif, see aureola. For the cactus feature, see Areole.... |
fat tissue | hair patch Hair Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class.... >- | 1 |
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Polythelia refers to the presence of an additional nipple alone while polymastia
Accessory breast
Accessory breasts, also known as polymastia, supernumerary breasts, or mammae erraticae, is the condition of having an additional breast...
denotes the much rarer presence of additional mammary gland
Mammary gland
A mammary gland is an organ in mammals that produces milk to feed young offspring. Mammals get their name from the word "mammary". In ruminants such as cows, goats, and deer, the mammary glands are contained in their udders...
s.
Although usually presenting on the milk line, pseudomamma can appear as far away as the foot.
A possible relationship with mitral valve prolapse
Mitral valve prolapse
Mitral valve prolapse is a valvular heart disease characterized by the displacement of an abnormally thickened mitral valve leaflet into the left atrium during systole. There are various types of MVP, broadly classified as classic and nonclassic. In its nonclassic form, MVP carries a low risk of...
has been proposed.
Known examples
- Carrie UnderwoodCarrie UnderwoodCarrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
during her American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
audition admitted to have had a third nipple which looked like a mole. - Lily AllenLily AllenLily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
has a third nipple, which she showed freely on television in a 2007 episode of The Friday Night ProjectThe Friday Night ProjectThe Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
. - Mark WahlbergMark WahlbergMark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
, actor and producer as well as Calvin KleinCalvin KleinCalvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
underwear model and former singer known as Marky Mark, has a third nipple. He famously spoke about it to the press before considering an operation to have it removed, but has since reneged, citing his third nipple as his "prized possession". - Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, second wife to Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
of England, and mother of Elizabeth I, is said to have had a third nipple or even a third breastAccessory breastAccessory breasts, also known as polymastia, supernumerary breasts, or mammae erraticae, is the condition of having an additional breast...
. This may well have been a slanderous rumour, as in TudorTudor dynastyThe Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
times these "malformations" were considered to be a sign of the person having been a witch. The circumstances of her marriage to the king, whose previous marriage had been annulled, made her a controversial figure. - Jo WhileyJo WhileyJohanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
, BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
presenter revealed in early 2005 that she had had a third nipple removed. "Yesterday I had three nipples - today I've got two. I was lying on the table and the doctor was looking at my mole. It was on my trunk, near my boob. And bearing in mind where it was, the doctor said: 'I think this is actually an accessory nipple'." Her husband gave her the nicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
Scaramanga, after the James Bond villain who had a supernumerary nipple. - Jonathan SpectorJonathan SpectorJonathan Michael Paul Spector is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He started his professional career in England when he was signed by Manchester United as a teenager, but rarely appeared for the club...
, professional football player for West Ham United has a third nipple, which he claims to use to intimidate opponents on the pitch.
Examples in popular culture
- In the 1965 novel and the 1974 James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
feature film The Man with the Golden GunThe Man with the Golden GunThe Man with the Golden Gun is the twelfth novel of Ian Fleming's James Bond series of books. It was first published by Jonathan Cape in the UK on 1 April 1965, eight months after the author's death. The novel was not as detailed or polished as the others in the series, leading to poor but polite...
, the eponymous villain, Francisco ScaramangaFrancisco ScaramangaFrancisco Scaramanga is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel The Man with the Golden Gun. The film was so named because it described Scaramanga's possession of a golden gun....
, has a third nipple. In the film, Bond has Q Department make a fake nipple in order to impersonate Scaramanga, although he places it in an anatomically impossible position. - The feature film MallratsMallratsMallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
features a topless psychicPsychicA psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
who attributes her abilities of precognitionPrecognitionIn parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
to her, albeit fake, third nipple and the topless manipulation of said supernumerary tissue. - Chandler BingChandler BingChandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Matthew Perry.-Background:Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of Scottish ancestry. Chandler was Ross...
, a character on the AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series Friends, has a third nipple he calls a "nubbin." He later has it surgically removed. - In an episode of the animated television series The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Lisa uses her knowledge of Krusty the Klown's third nipple to see if Krusty is an impostor. - In a second season episode of the drama "Nip/TuckNip/TuckNip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
", Christian TroyChristian TroyDr. Christian Troy is a fictional character played by Julian McMahon on the FX Networks series Nip/Tuck. The show revolves around McNamara/Troy, the plastic surgery practice he runs with his business partner and best friend, Sean McNamara....
meets a young man who has a third nipple and invites him to McNamara/Troy for surgery. His third nipple is successfully removed. - In the Ed Edd n Eddy episode "Pop Goes The Ed", the Eds don't want Nazz to go with them in the pool so Eddy tells her that Ed has "a third nipple, like that guy in James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
".
Folklore
In folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, an extra nipple was held to be indicative that the woman concerned was a witch - the nipple being used to suckle the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
.
See also
- Rudimentary supernumerary digit
- List of cutaneous conditions
- The Triple Nipple ClubThe Triple Nipple ClubThe Triple Nipple Club is a documentary shown on Channel 4 which explored the biological mystery of the supernumerary nipple. First broadcast on 2 January 2008, it was directed and produced by Dan Louw and commissioned as part of Channel 4's First Cut series....