Meaning of PANCREAS
| Pronunciation: | | 'pankreeus
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 WordNet Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | [n] a large elongated exocrine gland located behind the stomach; secretes pancreatic juice and insulin |
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| | See Also: | | digestive system, duct gland, exocrine gland, gastrointestinal system, islands of Langerhans, isles of Langerhans, islets of Langerhans, pancreatic duct, systema alimentarium, systema digestorium | |
| Webster's 1913 Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | \Pan"cre*as\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?; ?, ?, all + ? flesh,
meat: cf. F. pancr['e]as.] (Anat.)
The sweetbread, a gland connected with the intestine of
nearly all vertebrates. It is usually elongated and
light-colored, and its secretion, called the pancreatic
juice, is discharged, often together with the bile, into the
upper part of the intestines, and is a powerful aid in
digestion. See Illust. of {Digestive apparatus}.
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| Medical Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | long gland that lies behind the stomach; manufactures insulin and digestive enzymes. |
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| Biology Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | An organ behind the lower part of the stomach that is about the size of a hand. It makes insulin so that the body can use glucose (sugar) for energy. It also makes enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin, and carboxypolypeptidase) that help the body digest food. Spread all over the pancreas are areas called the islets of Langerhans. The cells in these areas each have a special purpose. The alpha cells make glucagon, which raises the level of glucose in the blood; the beta cells make insulin; the delta cells make somatostatin. There are also the PP cells and the D1 cells, about which little is known. |
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