Final answer:
The pigmented ring around the nipple is called the areola, which contains Montgomery glands that produce oil for lubricating the nipple during breastfeeding. The correct option is 3) areola.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pigmented ring around the nipple of the breast is called the areola. The areola contains glands that secrete an oily fluid, which helps in lubricating and protecting the nipple during breastfeeding. Furthermore, the areola features small bumps known as Montgomery glands, which produce oil to cleanse the nipple opening and prevent chapping and cracking of the nipple when a baby is nursing.
During lactation, the hormone prolactin from the anterior pituitary, and oxytocin, cause milk to be produced and released. The breast's mammary glands contain alveoli, which are the milk-secreting cells, and these are organized in lobules around the nipple. Milk is secreted from the lactocytes within the alveoli, moves into the lactiferous ducts, and then is available to the infant through the nipple's perforations during suckling.