islet of Langerhans

[ lahng-er-hahns, -hahnz, lahng-ger- ]

nounAnatomy.
  1. any of several masses of endocrine cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon.

Origin of islet of Langerhans

1
Named 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