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The sex of the fetus is determined at about the 8th week with the control gene activation of the SRY region ( sex determining region ) on the Y chromosome. In a manner of speaking female is default sex in humans. At this 8th week point a testosterone surge occurs which begins development of testes. Also at this time the vaginal development is stopped. So, you have nipples on men and some men have even been known to lactate. This is invisible to natural selection as it is energetically favored ( would take energy to erase nipples ) and does not interfere with reproductive success. Evolutionary processes do not always have " points. "
by mister_c on February 7th, 2005
After conception, the human embryo develops as a female. Only after 6-8 weeks does the Y chromosome kick in and the foetus begins developing male characteristics. By this point breast tissue, milk ducts and nipples have already formed. This happens in all mammals, by the way, the only exception being stallions who do not posses nipples.
Generally evolution will only weed out a characteristic if it proves detrimental to the organism, and of course, although having nipples provides no benefit to a man it has no ill effect either. Darwin (and others) wondered if at some point in the very distant past the males of a species from which we are descended suckled their young. Unfortunately there is nothing in the fossil record to prove this, and besides there are no male mammals today who feed their young.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_doctor/nipples_men.shtml
http://archive.salon.com/health/feature/1999/06/08/nipples/
by Cowboy-Matter of Fact on November 11th, 2007
Having man-boobs would be pretty pointless without them, don't you think?
by Anonymoose on November 20th, 2007
See the following exert from the posted link:
"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!
Nipples and breast tissue have no function as such except for perhaps protecting the heart and lungs from injury."
http://menshealth.about.com/od/conditions/a/Nipples_Men.htm
by Jax is missing AB on August 21st, 2007
Male nipples are actually in place due to the fact that as babies in the womb all men start out as women, while zygotes, before developing male genitalia and hormones.
Those that believe in evolution think that males were at one point able to produce milk and breastfeed babies. This has yet to be proven, as far as I'm aware.
Currently there isn't much use for male nipples other than sexual purposing, if that's what you are in to, and perhaps peircing.
by Ec-nal Licensed Bootie Inspector on November 11th, 2008
If we didn't we would look like giant KEN dolls (with pee-pees yo...;)
by The Dean on December 22nd, 2007
During embryological development, the human being starts with the capability to be male or female. Each cell has the full complement of genetic information capable of producing all the body part for males and females. By a process known as differentiation, cells specialize and become different from each other so that different organs form and the body takes shape. In the process of differentiation the early sex organs have the capability to be male or female, and under the influence of hormones, the organs become either male or female. The genetic information for nipples to form is present in all mammals including human beings regardless of whether the animal or human is male or female. The hormones that influence sex organ development in early foetal life have no effect on breasts. Adult breasts develop under the influence of adult female hormones. The male breast is perfectly capable of developing into a female breast which can produce milk, but the male body doesn't produce enough female hormones to make that happen.
The basic answer is that breasts are genetically programmed into the body development of all mammals including humans, but they only grow and become capable of producing milk under the influence of certain female hormones.
by DA BEN DAN yanggui zi on November 11th, 2007
sexual stimulation
by Anonymous on November 11th, 2007
Because chicks need something to suck on too!
by Debris - the new slimline version. on August 21st, 2007
My boyfriend has them so that I can tweek them in the mornings to annoy him.
by -O-uknow on November 11th, 2007
For prisoners serving life terms.
by buxtonite ..slowly losing my mind on November 11th, 2007
because in the cold his dick shrinks and it needs somewhere to go hence the saying 'nipple erectus'!!...lol..lol
by jk21wr on December 14th, 2007
actually men have nipples because for the first 6 or so weeks of pregnancy all children are female until either the male hormones kick in and grow into a boy.
kk
rate it
by Freaky_Chick on November 11th, 2007
The same reason why women have nipples,except men don't get pregnant,and breast feed babies.
by Kevisaurus is a Carnotaurus today on November 11th, 2007
Evolutionary bi-product that has yet to be edited from the gene pool I suppose. In the past it might have been possible for men to milk babies because there have been reported cases of men lactating in small amounts; albeit a very rare condition.
by Sandra havent been here since forever on August 21st, 2007
well so girls could play with them i mess with my bf and suck on his nipples sometimes he laughs and says it tickles
by ChelseaMark on May 6th, 2007
'cos we all start out the same.
by .Pretty . Zombie. on March 16th, 2009
for their girlfriends to play with. +5
by Colt COAT of Justice on January 16th, 2009
So the girls don't feel out of place?
by science_geek on January 5th, 2009
They are mammary glands just like the girls have, only very much smaller. They can become functional if given enough stimulation. When you think about it, it is highly adaptive for this to be so.
Here is a link to the wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_lactation
And here is a video: I cannot embed it so you have to click the link:
http://dethroner.com/2007/02/27/male-lactation-or-are-you-really-a-committed-father/
by krazymike on December 2nd, 2008
Peer pressure.
Just the way we're designed. Men have mammary glands; we just lack the hormones to "activate" them. Men can take pills to produce milk, if they so choose.
by Mephistopheles on December 2nd, 2008
That's a question better asked of en, don't you think?
by branciforte3241 on November 11th, 2008
Belly button is due to the umbilical cord.
The female is the basic, default form of life. When a male is formed, it receives chemicals that turn the vagina and ovaries inside out to form a penis and testicles. Different hormone levels cause the breasts to not develop fully, hence the nipples. we grow taller, have more muscles, less fat, more tightly bound hips (for running and hunting), and are slightly more myopic. Then we're injected full of testosterone. We are basically the worker ants of the species. Mutated versions of the female form.
by Done. never again. on November 1st, 2008
Because in the womb, everyone starts out as female. The Y chromosone develops a penis and testicles, later, after the nipples have developed.
by thewallfly on August 8th, 2008
I think becuase every baby starts out as a girl, so even though certain ones change into little baby boys tey still have nipples. That and, it probably looks odd without them.
by Cannabis its just a plant on August 21st, 2007
"You can milk just about anything with nipples"
"I have nipples, Greg, could you milk me?"
by LadyLuck on August 21st, 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nipple
"Starting at conception and lasting until about 14 weeks, all mammalian fetuses within the same species look the same, regardless of gender. After 14 weeks, genetically-male fetuses begin producing male hormones such as testosterone. As "female" is the "developmental default" for mammals, by 14 weeks, the nipples have already formed."
...they don't have a purpose. They're a genetic mistake.
by paul_k_666 on August 25th, 2006
In the embryo, the skin forms before sexual differentiation. So you better stick nipples on, just in case!
by Joe-Speedy on June 29th, 2006
In the development cycle of the human fetus, the sequence that grows a nipple occurs before the sequence that species the difference between male and female. That means, everyone gets nipples, even though they are useless on a male.
by Gene H on November 29th, 2009
At one point of development in the womb, we are all alike. It's time for nipples to come in. So we all get them. Then, later, sex is decided. Sure would be easier if it didn't happen that way. But it does.
by Anonymous on November 29th, 2009
As an anchor for a woman's lips.
by Marguerite on November 29th, 2009
Just in case they will have to breast feed in the future. The nipples will be there, in place, and all men have to do is grow the rest of the breast with the glands.
by human on November 29th, 2009
evolutionary the sex difference was not prominent
breat milk glands are also in men
by miss skellington in mushroom land on January 16th, 2009
because in the womb we all start off as females.
by CaptainHarley adores his life penguin on January 5th, 2009
We begin life in the womb as females. Males only develop as the placenta is flooded with male hormones. Ergo, we keep the nipples.
by Sid on December 2nd, 2008
All embryos are female until a certain number of weeks.
by Squirrel Face on December 2nd, 2008
What's an "en"? =P
by Ruh Roh on November 11th, 2008
because all fetuses physically are female. Males start to develop at around 4-6 weeks gestation, i think.
by Teri on November 11th, 2008
Correct me if I am wrong....but aren't they enjoyable during sex, if for nothing else?....and I am talking to the males.....
by Olero on November 11th, 2008
God only knows...
by wthing8 on October 23rd, 2008
All humans begin life in the womb as females. If no Y chromosome is present in the foetus, then the embryo will continue to develop as and be born as a female. If there is a Y chromosome present in the embryo, the male sex hormone testosterone restricts the full development of breasts to just nipples, the labia fuse to become the scrotum and clitoris develops fully to become a penis. If the Y chromosome prevails in producing a male, this is not done without a fight. Male babies are weaker as a result than female ones, occounting for the slightly higher death rate in male babies.
by Cognition aka Cog on August 8th, 2008
In the womb, 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.
Testosterone promotes the growth of the penis and testicles. Because nipples are there before this process begins the nipples stay!
http://menshealth.about.com/od/conditions/a/Nipples_Men.htm
by TravelBug on August 8th, 2008
to pierce!
by Zack on August 8th, 2008
So women can suck on them.:-)
by Doodle Bug has nothing to complain about on November 11th, 2007
As you may know, every human being gets a unique set of 23 pairs of chromosomes at conception. These fall into two categories. One pair of chromosomes determines sex--the XX combination means you become female, the XY combination means you become male.
The other 22 pairs, the non-sex chromosomes (they're called autosomes), supply what we might call the standard equipment that all humans get. These 22 pairs constitute an all-purpose genetic blueprint that in effect is programmed for either maleness or femaleness by the sex chromosomes. The programming is done by the hormones secreted by the sex glands.
For example, the autosomes give you a voice box, while the sex hormones determine whether it's going to be a deep male voice or a high female voice. Similarly, the autosomes give you nipples, and the sex hormones determine whether said nipples are going to be functioning (in females) or not (in males).
by Phoenix on November 29th, 2009
"You can milk anything with nipples." Gaylord Fokker.
Because anatomically, we are very similar creatures. It is correct that we should mirror one another as an extension of one anothers sexuality and bodily as members of the same species.
Male and female, acid and alkaline... We are pretty much the same in form but differ in purpose and function as vessels, catalysts and receptacles for the purpose of reproduction.
by Im Alec has abandoned this account on November 29th, 2009
Men and women are actually built to the same design plan, just some bits growin bigger on one than on the other. All the bits that men have are oresent om women, but undeveloped or hidden away, and all the bits that women have are present in men in the same way. Nipples are part of this: the basic design plan allows for both models of human, and the appropriate bits are grown or not during development.
by Im Alec has abandoned this account on July 18th, 2009
The male and female bodies are essentially the same design with different bits enlarged in the two sexes. The penis is the clitoris, the scrotum is the labia, and inside men have vestigial undeveloped ovaries. Nipples are the same - the basic design is laid down early in development, and later on are developed, in women only, into working nipples on breasts. But nature is very conservative: one design with modifications, not two separate designs.
by Scooby on July 8th, 2009
All humans begin life in the womb as females. If no Y chromosome is present in the foetus, then the embryo will continue to develop as and be born as a female.
If there is a Y chromosome present in the embryo, the male sex hormone testosterone restricts the full development of breasts to just nipples, the labia fuse to become the scrotum and clitoris develops fully to become a penis. If the Y chromosome prevails in producing a male, this is not done without a fight. Male babies are weaker as a result than female ones, accounting for the slightly higher death rate in male babies :-/
by Patrick on July 8th, 2009
It's so we can breast feed. ok...
Girls, will you date a man if he has big nipples?
by WABOO on November 21st, 2011
| 2 people like this
do women like play with guys nipples?
by duplaisir on December 15th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Ladies i love big nipples. How big are yours and are they very sensitive?Have you ever used nipple clips on them,hot or not?
by j4fun on November 19th, 2011
| 3 people like this
Men!!! How do you deal with the insensitive nipple?
by WABOO on November 21st, 2011
| 2 people like this
Ladies do you care if your nipples show through your clothes or is that the idea?
by zoneman on December 23rd, 2011
| 4 people like this
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Comments
Evolutionary processes do not always have " points. "?
Then why don't nipples in males shed off!!!
And does not interfere with reproductive success?
How is growth of mustache and beard energetically favored...
by Wises on March 9th, 2011
I told you why nipples do not " shed. " Why would it interfere with reproductive success? Women do not have any arbitrary sexually selective reason to shun them. They cost nothing to maintain and are default on the human body. Beards and mustaches are secondary sexual characteristics of males due to pubertal testosterone. They are really more of a byproduct and they are possible helpful in a sexually selective way. Perhaps the energetically favored concept I put forward was a bit much now that I think about it. Still, many things are invisible to natural selection, especially in humans.
by Neodarwinian49 on March 9th, 2011
Dear Neodarwinian49,
You wrote: "Perhaps the energetically favored concept I put forward was a bit much now that I think about it." That was refreshing to see but I think you might be too rough on yourself on this one. Your hypothesis makes sense to me when considering the amount of nutrients received by the fetus relative to it's mass compared to that of the grown-up body producing a mustache and beard. Besides, the hair has a function does it not?
The question itself brings back a memory from long ago. I was taking a grad-level course in evolution at Ball State University years ago and I was an "older student" even back then. We were talking about vestigial organs and I asked about nipples in the male of our species. In almost the same breath with my question I expressed the fact that I felt some envy over my wife being able to breast feed our children when I could not. You would have thought that I had shouted heil Hitler in the classroom. Those kids looked at me as though I was the weirdest person they'd ever encountered in their short lives. LOL By the way, it was then that I learned from the professor that some men lactate.
by cloudman on March 19th, 2011
My dream was graduate work in evolutionary biology. Too old now, but anyone should have the basics down. Unfortunately, in the US that is not common.
by Neodarwinian49 on March 19th, 2011