Langerhans Islands
Is a small group of cells located on the pancreas, these islands vary in function and different forms, and the islands of Langerhans constitute the equivalent of 1-2% of the mass of the pancreas. The Langerhans Islands were named after the German anatomy and disease scientist Paul Langerhans, who discovered these islands in 1869. The islands of Langerhans together number about one million islands. The diameter of each island is 0.2 mm, and the Langerhans are not connected to pancreatic tissue cells. These islands separate the pancreas from a high fibrous tissue. These islands are not the only ones in the human body called Langerhans, but there are cells in the skin called Langerhans cells.
Langerhans islands cell types
- Beta cells: Beta cells secrete the insulin hormone. These cells secrete insulin after eating and absorption of the digestive system of carbohydrates and sugars. The high level of blood glucose is the main catalyst for the secretion of insulin hormone from the islands of Langerhans, and if the secretion of insulin leads to a low level Glucose in the blood, which stimulates the cell wall to receive glucose to complete vital processes.
- Alpha cells: Alpha cells secrete the hormone glucagon, which releases glucose stored in the liver and muscle to raise the level of sugar in the blood, and alpha cells store glucagon in the liver and muscle, or glucagon to use at the time of need of the body, and low glucose in Blood is the primary catalyst for glucagon secretion from the Langerhans Islands.
- Delta cells: Delta cells secrete the hormone somatostatin, which reduces gastrointestinal activity for digestion.
- Peptide cells: These cells secrete polypeptide protein. This protein regulates the storage of glycogen in the liver.
- Epsilon cells: Epsilon cells secrete the hormone Grelin; this hormone is the first hormone released to regulate hunger, and Epsilon cells are the smallest cells of the islands of Langerhans size.
All the cells of the Langerhans Islands perform their functions in an integrated manner. In other words, when the beta cells secrete insulin, the blood sugar or glucose level decreases, which inhibits the secretion of glucagon from the alpha cells. In the case of secretion of glucagon hormone leads to inhibition of secretion of insulin, and in the case of Delta cells secretion of the hormone somatosteine lead to inhibit the secretion of insulin hormones and glucagon.
If the Langerhans islands are damaged or eradicated, they lead to a lack of insulin in the blood, which causes diabetes.