Gastrointestinal Tract - Pancreas Histology

Embryology - 1 Dec 2023 Expand to Translate
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Introduction

Adult pancreas historic drawing.

This section of notes provides an overview mainly of adult pancreas histology, see also Pancreas Development notes.

Page also provides further histology background information for Medicine phase 1 Health Maintenance B Practical Virtual Slides. This page content is not part of the HMB practical class.

HMB: Pancreas Histology | Liver Histology | Gall Bladder Histology | Renal System Histology

exocrine pancreas consists of tubuloacinar glands.
single layer of pyramidal shaped cells forms the secretory acini (cells contain zymogen granules).
Secretory duct pathway:
- Intercalated Duct
- Intralobular Duct (low columnar or cuboidal epithelium, non-striated)
- Interlobular Duct (columnar epithelium + goblet cells)
- Main Pancreatic Duct

Historic Embryology - Gastrointestinal Tract
1878 Alimentary Canal \| 1882 The Organs of the Inner Germ-Layer The Alimentary Tube with its Appended Organs \| 1884 Great omentum and transverse mesocolon \| 1902 Meckel's diverticulum \| 1902 The Organs of Digestion \| 1903 Submaxillary Gland \| 1906 Liver \| 1907 Development of the Digestive System \| 1907 Atlas \| 1907 23 Somite Embryo \| 1908 Liver \| 1908 Liver and Vascular \| 1910 Mucous membrane Oesophagus to Small Intestine \| 1910 Large intestine and Vermiform process \| 1911-13 Intestine and Peritoneum - Part 1 \| Part 2 \| Part 3 \| Part 5 \| Part 6 \| 1912 Digestive Tract \| 1912 Stomach \| 1914 Digestive Tract \| 1914 Intestines \| 1914 Rectum \| 1915 Pharynx \| 1915 Intestinal Rotation \| 1917 Entodermal Canal \| 1918 Anatomy \| 1921 Alimentary Tube \| 1932 Gall Bladder \| 1939 Alimentary Canal Looping \| 1940 Duodenum anomalies \| 2008 Liver \| 2016 GIT Notes \| Historic Disclaimer
Human Embryo: 1908 13-14 Somite Embryo \| 1921 Liver Suspensory Ligament \| 1926 22 Somite Embryo \| 1907 23 Somite Embryo \| 1937 25 Somite Embryo \| 1914 27 Somite Embryo \| 1914 Week 7 Embryo
Animal Development: 1913 Chicken \| 1951 Frog

Histology Images

Development Histology

Adult Histology

Unlabeled Large Images

Pancreatic Islets

3D Human pancreatic islet

The pancreatic islets (Islets of Langerhans) contain four distinct endocrine cell types.

Cytoarchitecture of Islets from adult human Pancreas^[1]

See also a recent paper on the organisation of these cells in human islets of Langerhans.^[2] Image - Three-dimensional analysis of human pancreatic islets

Section of an adult human pancreas stained for glucagon (green) and insulin (red).

Glucagon (green), rabbit anti-glucagon (DiaSorin, 1/1000)
Insulin (red), mouse anti-human insulin (Sigma, Saint-Quentin Fallavier, France 1/1000)
Nuclear staining (blue) was performed with DAPI.

Scale bars: 25 µm.

Alpha Cells

glucagon, mobilizes lipid
raises blood glucose levels

Beta Cells

insulin, increase glucose uptake
decreases blood glucose levels

Delta Cells

somatostatin, inhibits glucagon, insulin secretion

F-cells

pancreatic polypeptide

References

↑ Scharfmann R, Xiao X, Heimberg H, Mallet J & Ravassard P. (2008). Beta cells within single human islets originate from multiple progenitors. PLoS ONE , 3, e3559. PMID: 18958289 DOI.
↑ Bosco D, Armanet M, Morel P, Niclauss N, Sgroi A, Muller YD, Giovannoni L, Parnaud G & Berney T. (2010). Unique arrangement of alpha- and beta-cells in human islets of Langerhans. Diabetes , 59, 1202-10. PMID: 20185817 DOI.

External Links

External Links Notice - The dynamic nature of the internet may mean that some of these listed links may no longer function. If the link no longer works search the web with the link text or name. Links to any external commercial sites are provided for information purposes only and should never be considered an endorsement. UNSW Embryology is provided as an educational resource with no clinical information or commercial affiliation.

Blue Histology Pancreas
UNSW Virtual Slides Medicine phase 1 Health Maintenance B Pancreas Practical (requires login for access).
UIOWA Virtual Slidebox of Histology Pancreas
Who named it? Paul Langerhans (1847 - 1888)

Glossary Links

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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2023, December 1) Embryology Gastrointestinal Tract - Pancreas Histology. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Gastrointestinal_Tract_-_Pancreas_Histology

What Links Here?

[PMID18958289-1] Scharfmann R, Xiao X, Heimberg H, Mallet J & Ravassard P. (2008). Beta cells within single human islets originate from multiple progenitors. PLoS ONE , 3, e3559. PMID: 18958289 DOI.

[PMID20185817-2] Bosco D, Armanet M, Morel P, Niclauss N, Sgroi A, Muller YD, Giovannoni L, Parnaud G & Berney T. (2010). Unique arrangement of alpha- and beta-cells in human islets of Langerhans. Diabetes , 59, 1202-10. PMID: 20185817 DOI.

[1]

[2]