Digestive system: Pancreas and Gallbladder

What are pancreatic acini? How do their functions differ from those of the pancreatic islets (islets of Langerhans)?

exocrine portion of the organ; acini secretes pancreatic juice where as pancreatic islets secrete glucagon, insulin, somatostatin, & pancreatic polypeptide

Describe the pathways of blood flow into, through, and out of the liver.

into the liver: oxygenated - from hepatic artery; nutrient-rich - from hepatic portal vein through the liver: Hepatic sinusoids - central vein - hepatic vein - inferior vena cava out the liver: inferior vena cava to right atrium of heart

Once bile has formed by the liver, how is it collected and transported to the gallbladder for storage?

From the liver, bile flows out via the right & left hepatic ducts to make the common hepatic duct; this joins with the cystic duct coming off the gallbladder to make the common bile duct.

How are the liver and gallbladder connected to the duodenum?

Liver is connected via the hepatic bile duct; the gallbladder is connected vial the cystic bile duct; these join to form the common bile duct that joins with the pancreatic duct to form the hepatopancreatic ampulla that opens into the duodenum

Describe the major functions of the liver and gallbladder.

Liver: carbohydrate metabolism; lipid metabolism; protein metabolism; removal of drugs and hormones from the blood; excretion of bilirubin; syntheses of bile salts; phagocytosis; activation of vitamin D; and storage of glycogen, vitamins & minerals. Gallbladder: storage and concentration of bile.

Describe the duct system connecting the pancreas to the duodenum.

Pancreatic duct (larger of the two) and the common bile duct (from liver and gallbladder) enter the duodenum as common duct called hepatopancreatic ampulla; ampulla opens on elevation of duodenal mucosa (major duodenal papilla).

What are the digestive functions of the components of pancreatic juice?

(1) pancreatic amylase - digests starch/cargohydrates (2) trypsin, chymotrypsi, & carboxypeptidase - digests proteins (3) Pancreatic lipase - digests fats