Insulin and Glucagon

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The islets of Langerhans
The pancreatic Islets of Langerhans are the sites of production of insulin, glucagon and somatostatin. The figure below shows an immunofluorescence image in which antibodies specific for these hormones have been coupled to differing fluorescence markers. We can therefore identify those cells that produce each of these three peptide hormones. You can see that most of the tissue, around 80 %, is comprised of the insulin-secreting red-colored beta cells (ß-cells). The green cells are the α-cells (alpha cells) which produce glucagon. We see also some blue cells; these are the somatostatin secreting γ-cells (gamma cells). Note that all of these differing cells are in close proximity with one another. While they primarily produce hormones to be circulated in blood (endocrine effects), they also have marked paracrine effects. That is, the secretion products of each cell type exert actions on adjacent cells within the Islet.

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