[pan-kree-uhs, pang-] Pronunciation Key | a gland, situated near the stomach, that secretes a digestive fluid into the intestine through one or more ducts and also secretes the hormone insulin. |
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
pan·cre·as
(pāng'krē-əs, pān'-) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) n. A long, irregularly shaped gland in vertebrates, lying behind the stomach, that secretes pancreatic juice into the duodenum and insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin into the bloodstream. [Greek pankreas : pan-, pan- + kreas, flesh; see kreuə- in Indo-European roots.] pan'cre·at'ic (pāng'krē-āt'ĭk, pān'-) adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
pancreas
| pancreas | |
noun | |
| a large elongated exocrine gland located behind the stomach; secretes pancreatic juice and insulin |
pancreas
(pāng'krē-əs) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window)
A long, irregularly shaped gland in vertebrate animals that is located behind the stomach and is part of the digestive system. It secretes hormones (insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin) into the bloodstream and digestive enzymes into the small intestine or gut. The pancreas also secretes sodium bicarbonate, which protects the lining of the intestine by neutralizing acids from the stomach.
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Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
pancreas [(pang-kree-uhs, pan-kree-uhs)]
A gland behind the stomach that functions in both the endocrine system and the digestive system. Its endocrine function involves the secretion into the bloodstream of insulin, which regulates the level of sugars in the blood. As part of the digestive system, the pancreas secretes into the small intestine a fluid containing enzymes that is used in the digestion of all foods.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
pancreas pan·cre·as (pāng'krē-əs, pān'-)
n. pl. pan·cre·a·ta (pān-krē'ə-tə)
A lobulated gland without a capsule, that extends from the concavity of the duodenum to the spleen, consists of a flattened head within the duodenal concavity, an elongated three-sided body extending across the abdomen, and a tail touching the spleen, and secretes insulin and glucagon internally and pancreatic juice externally into the intestine.
pan'cre·at'ic (pāng'krē-āt'ĭk, pān'-) adj.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Pancreas
Pan"cre*as\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?; ?, ?, all + ? flesh, meat: cf. F. pancr['e]as.] (Anat.) The sweetbread, a gland connected with the intestine of nearly all vertebrates. It is usually elongated and light-colored, and its secretion, called the pancreatic juice, is discharged, often together with the bile, into the upper part of the intestines, and is a powerful aid in digestion. See Illust. of Digestive apparatus.
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