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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Assessing the Secretory Capacity of Pancreatic Acinar Cells
Published on: August 28, 2014
Structure and function of specialized cilia in the exocrine pancreas
D E Bockman1, M Büchler, H G Beger
1Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912.
Abstract:
Cilia are found in acinar and ductular lumina. Most descriptions of human or dog pancreatic tissue have indicated that these are probably motile structures which move and/or mix pancreatic secretion. A recent study interpreted arrangements of microtubules within cilia which deviated from the classic 9 + 2 pattern as indicating pathological change. There have been suggestions, however, from studies on nonmammalian and human pancreas, that the structure of pancreatic cilia suggests a sensory function. The present paper reports studies on the ultrastructural organization of the specialized cilia in human and canine pancreatic tissue. The pattern of microtubular organization resembles that of cilia modified for chemoreception rather than that of classic kinocilia. It is concluded that pancreatic ductular cilia are sensory rather than motile, providing a mechanism for monitoring general or specific molecular concentrations.
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