Toadfish Monastery

Open Water => Miscellaneous Discussion => Topic started by: Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith on April 19, 2010, 07:50:13 PM

Title: Why do men have nipples?
Post by: Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith on April 19, 2010, 07:50:13 PM
I'm posting this here, because although it has some actual science, it's mostly an observational and humorous essay.

Enjoy.

http://www.salon.com/health/feature/1999/06/08/nipples (http://www.salon.com/health/feature/1999/06/08/nipples)
Title: Re: Why do men have nipples?
Post by: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on April 19, 2010, 09:55:58 PM
Quote from: salonOf course, the principal reason for the nipple's enduring popularity is its function as a food delivery device. Ask any baby. Ask any father who has held his child in his arms and suddenly had said infant jerk its head to the side and latch optimistically onto a nipple. After a moment, the baby gives the father the reproachful look of an innocent child betrayed: You're no fun!
Said event just happened to me yesterday with my one year old niece.

I felt so... violated...  ;)
Title: Re: Why do men have nipples?
Post by: stellinacadente on April 19, 2010, 10:42:15 PM
Quote from: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on April 19, 2010, 09:55:58 PM
Quote from: salonOf course, the principal reason for the nipple's enduring popularity is its function as a food delivery device. Ask any baby. Ask any father who has held his child in his arms and suddenly had said infant jerk its head to the side and latch optimistically onto a nipple. After a moment, the baby gives the father the reproachful look of an innocent child betrayed: You're no fun!
Said event just happened to me yesterday with my one year old niece.

I felt so... violated...  ;)

Zono being on the other side of the fence allow me... :desperate:
Title: Re: Why do men have nipples?
Post by: Swatopluk on April 20, 2010, 08:30:55 AM
From what I read many years ago there is at least one species of bats that has lactating males.
Title: Re: Why do men have nipples?
Post by: Sibling DavidH on April 20, 2010, 08:47:34 AM
nipple
1538, nyppell, alt. of neble, probably dim. of O.E. neb "bill, beak, snout" (see neb), hence, lit. "a small projection."

I had always thought that men can sometimes lactate, even enough to feed a baby.

QuoteMale lactation was first noted by the German explorer Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt in 1858. In his diaries of that year, he wrote of a 32 year old man in northern Burma who breastfed his child for five months in the absence of a mother or wet nurse. Also in 1858, David Livingstone published reports of the same phenomenon in the Scottish highlands. Recently, in 1982, a 55 year old man in Baltimore, Maryland was noted for being the wet nurse of the children of his mistress. In 2002, an article with photographic evidence appeared in a Zaire newspaper, showing a local man providing breastmilk for his infant son.
There are many anecdotal cases of male lactation beyond these, including several articles in modern health magazines and current health books by men claiming to have mastered the technique.
The milk excreted by males is virtually identical to milk produced by females, with only a few relatively unimportant enzymes missing (Macadam, Compleat Mother, 1986); aside from these missing enzymes, male lactation in all measured species is identical to female lactation.

(Found  here. (http://everything2.com/title/Male+lactation))



Title: Re: Why do men have nipples?
Post by: Opsa on April 20, 2010, 07:27:00 PM
If men didn't have nipples, they wouldn't have any eyes for their tummy-faces.