The Terminal Ductal Lobular Unit (TDLU) is formed by which two structures?

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Multiple Choice

The Terminal Ductal Lobular Unit (TDLU) is formed by which two structures?

Think of the breast’s secretory unit as a small factory where milk is produced and drained. The lobule houses the secretory acini that actually make milk, and the terminal duct that connects this lobule to the larger duct system carries the milk away. The Terminal Ductal Lobular Unit is formed by the lobule together with its associated terminal duct that exits the lobule—the extralobular terminal duct. That pairing defines the functional unit where milk production and initial drainage occur. The alveolus is part of the lobule, but by itself it’s not the whole unit; the nipple is the outlet of the entire system, not the unit itself; and a standalone duct plus nipple doesn’t capture the specific combination that makes up the TDLU.

Think of the breast’s secretory unit as a small factory where milk is produced and drained. The lobule houses the secretory acini that actually make milk, and the terminal duct that connects this lobule to the larger duct system carries the milk away. The Terminal Ductal Lobular Unit is formed by the lobule together with its associated terminal duct that exits the lobule—the extralobular terminal duct. That pairing defines the functional unit where milk production and initial drainage occur. The alveolus is part of the lobule, but by itself it’s not the whole unit; the nipple is the outlet of the entire system, not the unit itself; and a standalone duct plus nipple doesn’t capture the specific combination that makes up the TDLU.

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