This image shows the
exocrine portion of the pancreas. It consists of closely packed
acini composed of a simple epithelium of wedge-shaped, columnar serous secretory
cells. The secretory cells, which synthesize a variety of digestive enzymes,
are characterized by: (1) circular, basally located nuclei
(N); (2) basophilic cytoplasm (BC) in
the basal half of the cells; and (3) apical cytoplasm filled with eosinophilic
zymogen granules (Zy). A septum
(Se), composed of dense connective tissue and containing fibroblasts
(Fi), divides the pancreas into lobules.
