Organ or Tissue Function
lactation Audio
lac·ta·tion [ lak-tey-shuhn ]
Subclass of:
Reproductive Physiological Phenomena; Postpartum Period
Etymology:
Latin lactare = to suckle; from lac = milk
Definitions related to lactation:
  • Production and secretion of milk by the mammary glands.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • The processes of milk secretion by the maternal MAMMARY GLANDS after PARTURITION. The proliferation of the mammary glandular tissue, milk synthesis, and milk expulsion or let down are regulated by the interactions of several hormones including ESTRADIOL; PROGESTERONE; PROLACTIN; and OXYTOCIN.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • The regulated release of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young.
    Gene Ontology Dictionary
    Gene Ontology Consortium, 2021
  • Lactation, secretion and yielding of milk by females after giving birth. The milk is produced by the mammary glands, which are contained within the breasts. The breasts, unlike most of the other organs, continue to increase in size after childbirth. Although mammary growth begins during pregnancy...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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