islet of Langerhans
[ lahng-er-hahns, -hahnz, lahng-ger- ]
nounAnatomy.
any of several masses of endocrine cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon.
Origin of islet of Langerhans
1Named after Paul Langerhans (1847–88), German anatomist, who described them in 1869
- Also called island of Langerhans.
Words Nearby islet of Langerhans
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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