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Updated: Aug 29, 2026

A System for ex vivo Culturing of Embryonic Pancreas
Published on: August 27, 2012
[Relative growth of the pancreas in the human fetus]
1Hospital Universitàrio Pedro Ernesto, Departamento de Anatomia, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Abstract:
The relative growth of the pancreas was studied in 30 human fresh fetuses of known age (ranging from 2nd to 3rd trimesters) by using of the allometric method (Y = a X b). The weight of the pancreas (in grams) was correlated to the fetal parameters of maturity: age (in weeks), crown-rump length (in millimeters) and fetus weight (in grams). The growth of the weight of the pancreas presented positive allometry relative to gestational age and C-R length (b = 4.16 and 3.90 respectively), and light positive allometry relative to the weight of the fetuses (b = 1.15). These data are important today because non invasive methods like ultrasonography make possible to investigate the normal prenatal growth of several organs.
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