Editing Axilla (section)

{{short description|Area of the human body beneath the joint between arm and torso}}
{{About|the anatomical body part|the 5th century BCE Roman consul|Gaius Servilius Axilla}}{{Redirect2|Underarm|Underarms|}}
{{Infobox anatomy
| Name        = Axilla
| Latin       = axilla
| Caption     =
| Image2      = ArmpitHair2.jpg
| Caption2    = Human axilla
| Precursor   =
| System      =
| Artery      = [[Axillary artery]]
| Vein        = [[Axillary vein]]
| Nerve       = [[Axillary nerve]], [[medial cord]], [[posterior cord]], [[lateral cord]]
| Lymph       = [[Axillary lymph nodes]]
}}
The '''axilla''' ({{plural form}}: '''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 (geometry)|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 [[underarm hair|hair]] and [[sweat gland]]s. In humans, the formation of [[body odor]] happens mostly in the axilla.<ref>{{cite book| last1=Turkington| first1=Carol| last2=Dover| first2=Jeffrey S.| title=The encyclopedia of skin and skin disorders| year=2007| publisher=Facts on File|location=New York| isbn=978-0-8160-6403-8| pages=363| edition=3rd}}</ref> These odorant substances have been suggested by some to serve as [[pheromone]]s, which play a role related to [[mate selection]], although this is a controversial topic within the scientific community.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Drea|first=Christine M.|date=February 2015|title=D'scent of man: A comparative survey of primate chemosignaling in relation to sex|journal=Hormones and Behavior|language=en|volume=68|pages=117–133|doi=10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.08.001|pmid=25118943|s2cid=2973690}}</ref> The underarms seem more important than the [[pubic area]] for emitting body odor, which may be related to human [[bipedalism]].<ref name=Oxford2007>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</ref>