PANCREAS
- Secondary retroperitoneal organ
- It is soft mixed gland:
- endocrine - relases hormons into the blood.
One of the important hormons it releases is insulin.
Exocrine - produces pancreatic juice that contains different enzyme.
flows into the duodenum
- Extends from concavity of the duodenum (at right side) to the spleen (at left side).
- It lies in the epigastric and left hypochondrial regions (Its neck at level of L1).
Parts:
- 1 Head of pancreas (caput pancreatis) – the large and rounded part of the pancreas
- is located in front of the body of vertebra L2 within the concavity of the duodenum
- 1.1 Pancreatic notch (incisura pancreatis)
- an notch on the inferior aspect of the pancreas between its head and body
- 1.2 Uncinate process (processus uncinatus) – a extension of the head of the pancreas
- passes behind the superior mesenteric vessels
- 2 Body of pancreas (corpus pancreatis) – the narrower and longer part of the pancreas
- courses horizontally to the left side over the large vessels
- 2.1 Omental eminence (tuber omentale)
- a ventral prominence elevated by the abdominal aorta
- 3 Tail of pancreas (cauda pancreatis) – points towards the spleen, located intraperitoneally