Tail of pancreas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tail of pancreas | |
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1: Head of pancreas 2: Uncinate process of pancreas 3: Pancreatic notch 4: Body of pancreas 5: Anterior surface of pancreas 6: Inferior surface of pancreas 7: Superior margin of pancreas 8: Anterior margin of pancreas 9: Inferior margin of pancreas 10: Omental tuber 11: Tail of pancreas 12: Duodenum |
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The duodenum and pancreas. | |
Latin | cauda pancreatis |
Gray's | subject #251 1201 |
Dorlands/Elsevier | c_15/12219840 |
The tail of the pancreas, located anatomically left near the hilum of the spleen, is not simply an antomical distinction. The tail is the only part of the pancreas which contains Pancreatic Polypeptide (PP) cells, which are responsible for secreting pancreatic polypeptide to coordinate exocrine and islet enzyme release. PP cells are found in the tail's periphery. Beta cells (insulin secretory) and delta cells (somatostatin secretory) are found in the central part of the tail as with the rest of the pancreas.
The cells described above are located exclusively in the islet cells; their secretions reach exocrine portions of the pancreas via the capillary network surrounding the islet cell populations.