| Axilla | |
|---|---|
 Human axilla | |
| Details | |
| Artery | Axillary artery |
| Vein | Axillary vein |
| Nerve | Axillary nerve, medial cord, posterior cord, lateral cord |
| Lymph | Axillary lymph nodes |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | axilla |
| MeSH | D001365 |
| TA98 | A01.1.00.021 |
| TA2 | 140 |
| FMA | 24864 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The axilla (pl.: axillae or axillas; also known as the armpit, underarm or oxter) is the area on the human body directly under the shoulder joint. It includes the axillary space, an anatomical space within the shoulder girdle between the arm and the thoracic cage, bounded superiorly by the imaginary plane between the superior borders of the first rib, clavicle and scapula (above which are considered part of the neck), medially by the serratus anterior muscle and thoracolumbar fascia, anteriorly by the pectoral muscles and posteriorly by the subscapularis, teres major and latissimus dorsi muscle.
The soft skin covering the lateral axilla contains many hair and sweat glands. In humans, the formation of body odor happens mostly in the axilla.[1] These odorant substances have been suggested by some to serve as pheromones, which play a role related to mate selection, although this is a controversial topic within the scientific community.[2] The underarms seem more important than the pubic area for emitting body odor, which may be related to human bipedalism.[3]
- ^ Turkington, Carol; Dover, Jeffrey S. (2007). The encyclopedia of skin and skin disorders (3rd ed.). New York: Facts on File. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-8160-6403-8.
- ^ Drea, Christine M. (February 2015). "D'scent of man: A comparative survey of primate chemosignaling in relation to sex". Hormones and Behavior. 68: 117–133. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.08.001. PMID 25118943. S2CID 2973690.
- ^ The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology, Edited by Robin Dunbar and Louise Barret, Oxford University Press, 2007, Chapter 22 Body odours and body odour preferences in humans by Claus Wedekind