The female breast is an exocrine gland. Specifically, it is classified as an apocrine gland. This means that when the gland secretes milk, the apical segment of the secretory cells and a portion of their cytoplasm are released along with the milk. This differs from other types of exocrine glands, such as merocrine glands, where only the secretory product is released.
The female breast is also considered an accessory organ of the female reproductive system because it plays a vital role in lactation, the process of producing milk to nourish offspring.
