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Pancreas (100X)

Microimage
No description. Image copyright: University of Oslo, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. (Tissue stain: H+E).

The endocrine cells of the pancreatic islets (islets of Langerhans) produce insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide. Insulin and glucagon are secreted into the capillaries of the Langerhans Islands. Somatostatin in the pancreas acts paracrine, ie it acts directly on the neighboring cells. The function of pancreatic polypeptide is unknown.

Structures seen in the image:

  • pancreatic islets
  • artery filled with erythrocytes
  • acini of the exocrine part of the pancreas
  • septa of connective tissue (wider tha normal due to tissue preparation)
  • adipose cells (fat cells)
Published December 17th 2018, updated October 9th 2021.