Question

define islets of Langerhans

Answer 1

groups of pancreatic cells secreting insulin and glucagon.

Answer 2

Here is a normal pancreatic islet of Langerhans surrounded by normal exocrine pancreatic acinar tissue. The islets contain alpha cells secreting glucagon, beta cells secreting insulin, and delta cells secreting somatostatin.

Function---The alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans produce an opposing hormone, glucagon, which releases glucose from the liver and fatty acids from fat tissue. In turn, glucose and free fatty acids favour insulin release and inhibit glucagon release.