Associate Professor Dr San San Thwin

Pancreas
 Has 2 parts-

 1.Exocrine pancreas-
(A ) is a compound
tubuloacinar gland,
it is divided into
lobes and lobules by
connective tissue
septa

 2.Endocrine part –
(I) Islets of
Langerhans (I)
 Exocrine
Pancreas
Features of
Exocrine
part is similar
to the
features of
parotid
salivary
gland where
only serous
acini were
Centroacinar
found
cell
 Secretory portion of pancreas is made up of only serous acini- each acinar
cell (A) is pyramidal in shaped.
 Nucleus is round and basally located,
 Has basophilic cytoplasm in infra nuclear region
 Apical region is filled with zymogen granules (in the supra nuclear region)
Differences between serous(S) and
mucous (M) acinus- e.g both acini -found in mixed
salivary gland Features Serous Mucous
acinus acinus
Diameter of smaller bigger
acinus
No: of cells 3-6 cells More than 6
S
Nucleus Round and Flat and at
near the the base
M center
Cytoplamic Zymogen Mucigen
granules granules granules
(reddish)
Color of darker Pale color
cells
Secretions Enzymes for Mucous
digestion secretion
 Exocrine Pancreas
Zymogen
granules

 Zymogen granules, reddish in colour, are very prominent in the acinar cell
 Centroacinar cells (C) are pale staining, lining cells of intercalated duct
seen in the lumen of the serous secretory unit

 Duct system- the smallest duct is intercalated duct (ID) and is lined by low
cuboidal lining and these cells appear in the lumen of the acinus as
centroacinar cell (C)
Exocrine Pancreas
 Connective capsule send in
septa dividing the gland into
lobes and lobules

 Ductal system-Intercalated
ducts join to form intralobular
and then interlobular which
later join the main pancreatic
duct

 The interlobularduct (D) have

stratified cuboidal lining and
are surrounded by connective
tissue (CT)
 Endocrine
Pancreas
 is formed by Islets of
Langerhans which are
abundant in the tail of
pancreas

 Each islet is supported

by reticular fibers with
numerous cappillaries

 There are 5 types of

cells beta, alpha ,
delta , PP cell and G
cell
 Endocrine
Pancreas
 Islets of Langerhans
consists of many types of
cells
- Beta cells secrete
insulin
- Alpha cells secrete
glucagon
- Delta cells secrete
somastatin
- G cells secrete gastrin
- PP cells produce
pancreatic polypeptide
Islets of
Langerhans
 Liver
 Liver is made up of
parenchymal cells
known as
hepatocytes
 There is a
connective tissue
capsule
( Glisson’s capsule)
 These connective
tissue continues
inside as septa to
divide the liver
into lobules

Connective
tissue
Liver

In a classical lobule,

anastomosing plates of
hepatocytes of 2 cells
thickness, radiate from
the central vein towards
the periphery .

Central
vein

Portal triad
 Classical lobule & Portal triad
 The classical lobule is
hexagonal in shape
 In the center is the central
vein
 At the angles of the lobule,
are the portal triads
 Portal triad consists of
portal vein, hepatic artery
and bile duct
 Portal triad
Consists of a tributary
or a branch of portal
vein -V ( largest and
has thin wall)
Bile ductule –D
(simple cuboidal or
columnar lining)
A branch of Hepatic
artery-A
(thick wall with
endothelial lining &
smooth muscle)
Liver ( sinusoids) and portal triad)

Portal
triad Central
vein

Sinusoids are present in between the plates of liver cells

Liver ( sinusoids and portal triad)

sinusoid Portal triad

 Classification of lobules
 3 types of lobules
 Hepatocytes are arranged
in hexagonal shaped
lobules known as
Classical lobules

 Portal lobule- is a
triangular area with
centrally located portal
triad and the 3 angles
formed by central veins

 Portal acinus or hepatic

acinus -diamond shaped
lobule
 Hepatic acinus
 It extends from one portal triad to
another portal triad, diamond
shaped, showing the blood flow
and representing as functional 3
lobule 2 1

 There are 3 zones in the hepatic

acinus

 Zone 3 extends as far as central

vein and is the most oxygen poor
zone

 Zone 1 being the richest in oxygen

because it is closest to the hepatic
artery
 Hepatic sinusoids
 Sinusoids (S) lie between the
plates of liver cells
 Sinusoids flow into the
central vein
 The sinusoid are lined by
1.sinusoidal lining
cells( discontinuous
endothelial cells)and 2.
Kupffer cells( KC)
 Kupffer cells are
macrophages which
phagocytose the old rbc and
cellular debris
 In between the adjacent liver
cells are the biliary canaliculi
(BC)
Biliary
canaliculi
 Kupffer
cells
 Kupffer cells
(indicated by
arrows) are
shown lining
the sinusoids
(S)
 Between the
hepatocytes
(H) are the
biliary
canaliculi

Biliary
canaliculi
Hepatic sinusoids and Ito cells
3.Third type of cell production of extra
lining the sinusoid cellular matrix and
cell is Ito cell or collagen. During liver
hepatic lipocyte or injury due to alcohol
stellate cell. It cannot or infection, these
be distiguished by cells are thought to
light microscope. produce large amount
These cells have dual of collagen fibers
functions- vitamin A causing hepatic
storage and cirrhosis.
 Space of Disse

Perisinusoidal space or
Space of Disse is the
space between the
hepatocyte and
sinusoidal lining

Microvilli of
hepatocytes occupy this
area , and facilitates
exchange of materials
 Gall Bladder
 Four layers-
 Mucosa is highly folded when
it is empty
 Epithelium- simple columnar
consists of 2 types of cells, --
clear cells ( more common),
oval nuclei basally positioned
and supranuclear region
with occasional mucigen
granules
- brush cells -few in number
 Gall Bladder
 In the neck region there are
simple tubuloalveolar
glands( Gl) which produce
mucus present in the bile.
 Lamina propria a- loose conn:
tiss: with elastic and collagen
fibers
 Muscular layer has thin
smooth muscle mostly of
obliquely oriented fibers and
some longitudinal
 Adventitia consists of loose
conn: tiss: where it is attached
to the liver
 Serosa-simple squamous
mesothelial lining in the part
where it is not attached to the
liver
 Function-to store bile and to
concentrate the bile