islet of Langerhans

Main Entry: islet of Lang·er·hans
Pronunciation: -'lä[ng]-&r-"hänz, -"hän(t)s
Function: noun
: any of the groups of smallslightly granular endocrine cells that form anastomosing trabeculae among the tubules and alveoli of the pancreas and secrete insulin and glucagon called also islet
Langáeráhans /'lä[ng]-&r-"häns,/ Paul (1847–1888), German pathologist. Langerhans is notable for his studies of human and animal histology. He was among the firstinvestigators to successfully explore this new area of research using staining techniques and other innovative methods. Most important was his work on the pancreas. He described the cell islands of thepancreas in a paper published in 1869. This paper presented the first careful and detailed description of the histology of the pancreas. The islets of Langerhans were first given that name in 1893 bythe French histologist G. E. Laguesse. Langerhans also studied the anatomy of the skin and its innervation.