The Pancreas

The pancreas is V-shaped, consisting of two long narrow branches, which meet at an acute angle above the pylorus. The right branch extends backward above the first part of the duodenum, below the caudate lobe of the liver and the right kidney, and ends usually a short distance behind the latter. The left branch passes inward and backward on the visceral surface of the stomach, and ends under the left kidney. There are two ducts: the larger one unites with the bile duct, while the smaller one enters the duodenum an inch or two (ca. 3 to 5 cm.) further back.