The
pancreatic islets or
islets of Langerhans are the regions of the
pancreas that contain its
endocrine (i.e., hormone-producing) cells. Discovered in 1869 by
German pathological anatomist
Paul Langerhans. New studies show that the pancreatic islets constitute approximately 4.5% of the pancreas volume and receive 10-15% of its blood flow. The islets of Langerhans are arranged in density routes throughout the healthy human pancreas.