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Exocrine System
Exocrine glands are glands that secrete substances on to an epithelial surface by way of a duct. Examples of exocrine glands include sweat, salivary, mammary, ceruminous, lacrimal, sebaceous, prostate and mucous. Exocrine glands are one of two types of glands in the human body, the other being endocrine glands, which secrete their products directly into the bloodstream. The liver and pancreas are both exocrine and endocrine glands; they are exocrine glands because they secrete products—bile and pancreatic juice—into the gastrointestinal tract through a series of ducts, and endocrine because they secrete other substances directly into the bloodstream. Exocrine sweat glands are part of the integumentary system; they have eccrine and apocrine types. Classification Structure Exocrine glands contain a glandular portion and a duct portion, the structures of which can be used to classify the gland. * The duct portion may be branched (called compound) or unbranched (called simple ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acinus
An acinus (; plural, acini; adjective, acinar or acinous) refers to any cluster of cells that resembles a many-lobed "berry," such as a raspberry ('' acinus'' is Latin for "berry"). The berry-shaped termination of an exocrine gland, where the secretion is produced, is acinar in form, as is the alveolar sac containing multiple alveoli in the lungs. Exocrine glands Acinar exocrine glands are found in many organs, including: * the stomach * the sebaceous gland of the scalp * the salivary glands of the tongue * the liver * the lacrimal glands * the mammary glands * the pancreas * the bulbourethral (Cowper's) glands The thyroid follicles can also be considered of acinar formation but in this case the follicles, being part of an ''endocrine'' gland, act as a hormonal deposit rather than to facilitate secretion. Mucous acini usually stain pale, while serous acini usually stain dark. Lungs The end of the terminal bronchioles in the lungs mark the beginning of a pulmonary acinus tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
