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Pancreas Research Paper

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The pancreas plays key roles in digestion and the production of excretion of hormones. The pancreas is located posterior to the stomach in the abdomen. It is approximately 5 to 6 inches long and about 1 inch thick. (McKinley, O’Loughlin & Bidle 1048). The pancreas is made up of simple cuboidal epithelial cells, called acinar cells, which are arranged in a sac-like formation called acini. The acini are bunched together to form lobules, that produce HCO3- (McKinley, et. al., 1049). Small ducts lead from each acinus duct to the larger pancreatic ducts, which eventually lead to the duodenum. The acinar and the pancreatic ducts form pancreatic juice which contains mostly water and a mix of digestive enzymes (McKinley et. al., 1049).

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