ˈpaŋkrēəs, ˈpank-, ˈpaank- noun
( -es )
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek pankreas, from pan- + kreas flesh, meat — more at raw
: a large compound racemose gland that in man lies in front of the upper lumbar vertebrae and behind the stomach and is somewhat hammer-shaped and firmly attached anteriorly to the curve of the duodenum with which it communicates through one or more pancreatic ducts and that consists of (1) tubular acini secreting digestive ferments which pass to the intestine and function in the breakdown of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates; (2) modified acinar cells that forms islets between the tubules and secrete the hormone insulin; and (3) a firm connective tissue capsule that extends supportive strands into the organ — see beef bread , islet of langerhans ; digestion illustration