| Diabetes
Mellitus |
The condition
or disease in which the body is unable to appropriately control blood sugar (glucose)
levels. This may be caused by failure of the pancreas to produce adequate
amounts of insulin. |
| Diaphragm |
A dome shaped
muscle that separates the lungs and heart from the abdomen. This muscle
assists in breathing. |
DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) |
The part of
every cell that carries all genetic information. |
| Duct |
A small anatomic
structure. This is essentially a tube that carries various bodily fluids. |
| Duodenum |
The first portion
of the small intestine. It is about 1 foot long. |
| -ectomy |
Surgical removal
of a structure or part of a structure. For example, pancreatectomy is the
surgical removal of the pancreas (or a portion of it). |
|
Endocrine cells
(endo=within)
See
illustration
|
These are specialized cells that produce hormones
released into the bloodstream. For example, the islets of Langerhans
are endocrine cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone
insulin.
This hormone helps control blood sugar(glucose) levels.
Some rare tumors of the pancreas, the endocrine
(Islet Cell) tumors, can produce these same hormones. It is very important
that these rare tumors be properly diagnosed because it will determine
the treatment and prognosis.
|
| Endocrinologist |
A medical doctor
who specializes in the treatment of hormonal abnormalities. |
| Enzyme |
A chemical that
causes a reaction in other substances, in this case as a part of the digestive
process. |
ERCP
(endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) |
A test used to visualize and examine the pancreas and bile ducts. A tube
is inserted through a patient's nose (or throat), down through the esophagus
and stomach then into the small intestine (duodenum). There, a small probe
is inserted into the ampulla
of Vater. A dye is injected through the probe
and into the pancreatic and bile ducts. X-rays are then taken and the pancreatic
and bile ducts can be seen as white structures (this is because the injected
dye is opaque. Because pancreas cancers often block the pancreatic and/or
bile ducts, this technique can be useful in establishing a diagnosis of
pancreas cancer. |
|
Exocrine cells
(exo= outward)
See
illustration
|
The exocrine cells (acinar cells) of the pancreas
produce and transport chemicals that will exit the body through the
digestive system.
The chemicals that the exocrine cells produce are
called enzymes. They
are secreted in the duodenum where they assist in the digestion of food.
|
| Reference: The Johns
Hopkins Family Health Book; Michael J. Klag Editor, Harper Collins Pub.,
1999. |
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