A Review of the Histology, Physiology, and Pathology of the Pancreas

Abstract

The pancreas is a multifunctional glandular organ that is involved both in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients for the maintenance of milk, meat, and egg production and in hormone production and secretion, which is additionally involved in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and storage of amino acids. The pancreas affects the functioning of the entire body. The loss of any of these functions results in various disorders difficult to treat. Until recently, the study of the histology, physiology, and pathology of the pancreas was neglected because of the inaccessibility of the organ during in vivo examinations and the demanding laboratory research procedure. The pancreas is usually examined histologically only as part of the assessment of other organs or in vitro after the organ drops out from the body. Histology is usually examining the species where the pancreas is one of the primary target organs. Pancreatic pathology is rather a complication of the disease than its primary cause. In pigs, pancreatic disorders are rarely the primary cause of disease. The most common are secondary changes due to endocrine or exocrine digestive function disorders, mostly concurrent with other organ disorders. As the exocrine part of the pancreas is more developed and constitutes the primary gland of the digestive tract, functioning mainly at the young age, it is the main target of pathological changes.