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Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion

Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion

The pancreatic islets comprising only 1%-2% of the volume are highly vascularized and innervated mini-organs. They contain five endocrine cell types, including β cells that secrete insulin, which is synthesized as a single polypeptide chain, preproinsulin, processed to proinsulin, and finally to insulin and C-peptide. This process is complex and regulated, involving the Golgi complex, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the secretory granules of the β cell.
Insulin and C-peptide are co-secreted in...

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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Computer-assisted Large-scale Visualization and Quantification of Pancreatic Islet Mass, Size Distribution and Architecture

Computer-assisted Large-scale Visualization and Quantification of Pancreatic Islet Mass, Size Distribution and Architecture

Published on: March 4, 2011

The comparative anatomy of islets.

R Scott Heller¹

¹Hagedorn Research Institute, Department of Beta Cell Regeneration, Gentofte DK2820, Denmark. shll@hagedorn.dk

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

|March 11, 2010

Summary

Islets are more complex than previously believed, exhibiting similarities between rodents and primates. This complexity, influenced by diverse diets and lifestyles, is evident across species, from invertebrates to mammals.

Area of Science:

Comparative endocrinology
Evolutionary biology
Islet cell biology

Background:

Recent publications expand on foundational comparative work of islet research from the 1970s-1980s.
Islets of Langerhans are increasingly recognized for their complexity and conserved features across diverse species.
Evolutionary pressures from varied diets and lifestyles have shaped islet structure and cell composition in lower vertebrates.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide an overview of the evolutionary trajectory of endocrine cell types.
To synthesize current literature and original research on islet evolution from invertebrates to mammals.
To describe hormones found within islets.

Main Methods:

Literature review of mammalian and non-mammalian islet research.

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Comparative analysis of islet structure and cell types across species.

Inclusion of original research findings and descriptions of islet hormones.

Main Results:

Islets demonstrate significant complexity and notable similarities between rodents and higher primates.
Substantial diversity in islet structure and cell composition exists in lower vertebrates, linked to ecological factors.
A range of hormones beyond traditional pancreatic hormones have been identified in islets.

Conclusions:

Islet complexity and evolutionary conservation are key themes in current research.
Environmental factors significantly influence islet evolution and diversity.
Further research into islet hormones and their roles is warranted.