Number of islets of Langerhans & total islet volume

Range total number of islets 3.6×10^6-14.8×10^6: total islet volume 0.5-1.3 cm^3
Organism Human Homo sapiens
Reference Ionescu-Tirgoviste C et al., A 3D map of the islet routes throughout the healthy human pancreas. Sci Rep. 2015 Sep 29 5: 14634. doi: 10.1038/srep14634. p.1 bottom paragraphPubMed ID26417671
Primary Source [5] Saito, K., Iwama, N. & Takahashi, T. Morphometrical analysis on topographical difference in size distribution, number and volume of islets in the human pancreas. Tohoku J Exp Med. 124, 177–86 (1978). [6] Hellman, B. The frequency distribution of the number and volume of the islets of Langerhans in man: studies on non-diabetic adults. Acta Soc Med Upsal. 64, 432 (1959). [7] Hellman, B. Actual distribution of the number and volume of the islet of Langerhans in different size classes in non-diabetic humans of varying ages. Nature 184, 1498 (1959). [8] Korsgren, O. et al. Current status of clinical islet transplantation. Transplantation 79, 1289–93 (2005).PubMed ID347635, 14400890, 14400897, 15912090
Comments P.1 bottom paragraph: "The presence of two glands in the same organ, one with an internal secretion and the other with an external secretion, is more an exception than a rule. While the exocrine pancreas has a regular lobular organization, the endocrine pancreas proves to be uniquely heterogeneous, whether [investigators] refer to the total number of islets or to their size. In previous studies, the total number of islets varied between 3.6 and 14.8 million, and the total islet volume has been reported between 0.5 to 1.3 cm^3 [primary sources]. Furthermore, the cellular composition of the islets makes it difficult to accurately calculate the total number of β cells. Detailed studies made on the human islets report a proportion of ~60% for β cells and ~30% for α cells, the remainder being divided between δ cells (<10% - somatostatin-secreting), γ cells (<5% - secreting pancreatic polypeptide), and ε cells (ghrelin secreting) [refs 9-11]." See BNID 109961, 109966
Entered by Uri M
ID 113104