Posted on February 19, 2017February 17, 2023 by Ashley Davidoff

We the Cells of the Body, Want to Create a More Perfect Union

Adam and Eve Choose Cabinet Members for the Body’s Society of Cells

Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better – Einstein

As Adam and Eve entered the Garden of Eden they heard the cry of the disparate cells of the body:

“Without each other we are nothing. Please unite us in structure and function with your wisdom. E Pluribus Unum!”

E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many, One

The cells knew they would be around for a long time; their grand scheme was to pursue Oneness. They understood the consequences of bullying, selfishness, greed, and jealousy. They also knew the power of goodness, integrity, humility, and sharing. The cells resolved to fight the evil aspects of humanity. 56 cells from all walks of life discussed the issue of collaborative community living, and drafted a constitution they all signed in Philadelphia. The cells submitted this proposal to Adam and Eve. It read:

“We the Cells of the Body, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United Cells of the Body.”

50 representative cells overlying the stars

Adam and Eve realized that the cell was the key “person” in their society

Adam and Eve, taken aback by the wisdom of biology, accepted the proposal and recognized the document as a marvel of humanity. They knew it was imperfect, but accepted that as humanity learned through time, experience, and application, it could be amended and better understood.

And so what to do now?

Adam and Eve’s first task was to choose leadership for this noble effort. Which type of cells did the society of the body need? The stakes were high; they needed to organize an efficient society in which each of the body’s 37.2 trillion individual cells would be fed, protected, fulfilled and free. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve examined the variety of cells that surrounded them, then turned to consider the needs of society. thinking about which to choose.

Essential Functions

They debated and discussed how to build a body to house and protect its contents and enable the person to live a full and free life. They spoke through the night and on the sixth day they arrived at a basic plan of a successful body’s most important functions. Those functions would fulfill the direction of the constitution they had drafted earlier.

Their plan was a simple list of the body’s essential functions:

control, manage, direct
protect and support
provide food, energy, and manufacture needed products
transport
maintain
produce and prepare the next generation

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve entered the society of the cells and began to select societal leaders for the various essential functions on their list.

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Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden’s Cell Shop

Adam and Eve ventured into the Garden of Eden Cell Shop with their shopping list of the functional needs for their society.

Finding the Leader Cell to Control, Manage and Direct

The cell to govern the body would need an overview of the whole situation of life and Oneness. Its chief characteristics would be wisdom, honesty, humility and integrity. It also needed to sense and react appropriately to both the external and internal environment so that everybody could live a safe and fulfilling life. This cell also had to be able to communicate with every cell in the body – all 37.2 trillion of them – from the tip of the head to the tips of the toes.

The Neuron – “Il Presidente”

They chose the brain cell or neuron for its leadership, and they playfully called it “Il Presidente.” Crucially, the neuron could connect not only with other brain cells, but also (directly or indirectly) with every cell in the body. The neuron could also react to the outside environment.

Adam and Eve Trying on the Brain Cell for Size

Adam tried on the brain cell and sought Eve’s approval. It was tailored for both the internal and external environments.

Modified public domain work of Henri Rousseau “The Dream” 1910 (MoMA)

“Il presidente” made his first speech referencing Hillel’s sage advice: “If I am not for the body of my person who will be? And if I am only for the body of my person, then what am I? If not now when then?”

Adam and Eve nodded at each other, satisfied with their choice.

Finding a Cell for Protection

Adam and Eve lived in a dangerous environment. Wild, predatory animals ranged in size from the dinosaurs to violent religious zealots, to the smallest virus particles. They identified two principal needs – protection from the outside, and protection from the inside of the body. They turned first to secure internal security.

Adam and Eve were aware of Voltaire’s wise words: “Beware of the words ‘internal security,’ for they are the eternal cry of the oppressor.” They also knew, conversely, that Cicero stated “Salus populi suprema lex esto” – “Let the good (or safety) of the people be the supreme (or highest) law.”

The cell responsible for internal environmental control had to be highly intelligent, so it could sensitively identify the enemy without racial profiling. Adam and Eve searched for a long time before they encountered an amazing, introverted cell genius, decorated with Einstein’s hairstyle. They called it the macrophage. This cell had an exquisite memory for detail and an uncanny ability to spot and destroy the enemy of peace. Rebels and terrorists in the body were no match for this cell.

The Macrophage Police Cell with a Crazy Hairstyle

The macrophage’s motto was the simple equation: E = mc²

Enemy of the Common Good will be taken down by the Macrophage with Great Conviction for the sake of the peace of humanity

Finding a Cell to Manufacture Food, Energy, and Other Needed Products

The manufacturing function related to internal economy. Adam and Eve knew that a successful internal economy required self sufficiency. All able bodied cells had a right and an obligation to work. Adam and Eve remembered and appreciated the wise words of the famous John Kennedy who declared “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

The body would need manufacturing facilities present in all of its parts. Noticing, however, that the liver cell proved especially adept at manufacturing, Adam and Eve chose this cell to lead the body’s internal economy.

The Liver Cell – Key in Metabolic Function in the Metabolic Warehouse of the Body

Finding a Cell to Lead the Transport Function

Transport to and from the cells would be an essential bodily function. Adam and Eve chose the red cell to lead the effort, since it could transport oxygen and carbon dioxide, which they knew is vital to life. The red cell with its colorful hemoglobin was a natural choice. They recognized its ability to rapidly exchange gases in the lungs and at the cell as a stunning accomplishment of nature.

Red Cell with Hemoglobin Responsible for the Transport of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Finding the Cell to Lead Maintenance: Repair, Cleaning and Waste Removal

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Stem Cell Maintenance and Repair

The stem cell can magically transform into many different types of cells necessary to repair and regenerate tissues, which can wear over time. Timed cell death, or apoptosis, is natural and regeneration is necessary. The adult stem cell is responsible for regeneration of blood cells, endothelia of blood vessels, and epithelia of skin, intestine, and respiratory tract. Adult stem cells also repair tissues such as bone, cartilage, and non-cardiac muscle, which are prone to injury due to physical activity. Adam and Eve chose the multipotential adult stem cell to maintain the body’s cell populations.

Preparation for the Next Generation

The miracle of creation understood the importance of education. Each generation would advance to wholeness only if it learned from the experience of prior generations. Humanity has preserved history in archives, museums, and libraries. Similarly, within the nucleus of each cell lies the accumulated experience of the generations in the library of the DNA. Every cell contains all this valuable information, which continues to evolve as human experience advances.

The Library of Accumulated Experience in the Nucleus of the Cell

Courtesy of photograph provided by Ralf Roletschek / fahrradmonteur.de subsequently modified

Best for Last: Reproduction

Nature drives men and woman together with the most pleasurable and profound experience to enable e plurabus unum of the female egg and male sperm. The mechanical union is infused with a miraculous spark of life that enables the continuation of the species.

Sperm and Egg Meet and a Miracle (not to be taken for granted) Occurs

Adam and Eve rested, exhausted in each other arms, assured that the wonderful human experiment had begun.

And the next day…

…there was a meeting of the minds on the palace lawn.

7 Cabinet Ministers Posing in Front of Government Center

The 7 cells chosen by Adam and Eve to to advise the design of the structure and function of the body.

From left to right; Liver cell (manufacture), Macrophage (defense and protection) Ovum (reproduction) Neuron (government) Sperm (reproduction) Stem cell (maintenance and repair) and Red cell (transport)

Posted on November 22, 2016February 17, 2023 by Ashley Davidoff

The Common Vein: Anatomy of Structure – Units and Connections

Structure – The First Step

Structure is a material unit or object, composed of smaller parts that are connected and organized so that it can stand alone but also be part of a larger and more complex whole

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The Units That Make the Whole – The Brick and the Brick Principle

The brick is the unit that is the basis of the brick building.

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The Brick – An Individual Unit That Needs to Connect In Order to Function and Be Valuable

The brick by itself has no function and no value to the world. In order to have value it needs to connect with other bricks. When the brick, a structural unit, connects with other bricks and they organize, a wall is built. The wall as a structural unit, connects with other walls and they organize to form a room, and eventually a building is built. Although the brick is nothing by itself – a weak brick can bring the whole wall and the whole building down.

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The Power of the Brick

It is Nothing by Itself

However the Whole is Only as Strong as the Weakest Brick

The Units That Make the Body – The Cell and the Brick Principle

I am like a brick. Amrish Puri

The cell is the unit that is the basis of biology.

cell, cells, liver, process, physiology, function, receive, process, produce, export, principles, nucleus, cytoplasm, cytology, anatomy, art, the common vein, art in anatomy, Ashley Davidoff MD

The cell by itself has no function nor value, unless it is a unicellular organism. In order to have value it needs to connect with other cells. When the cell, a structural unit, connects with other cells and they organize, a tissue is built. The tissue as a structural unit, connects with other tissues and they organize to form an organ, and eventually a body is built. Although the cell is nothing by itself – a weak cell can bring the tissue and the whole body down.

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When the 37.2 trillion cells in the human body connect and organize, they create a spark of life housed in the body and gifted with a mind.

The difference between the brick building and the person is really the life that biology brings. It is truly a miracle and the secret of how this happens still eludes human endeavour. This secret may never be unlocked.

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Subtract The Bricks From the Cells. What is the Result?

What is very clear, is that as human biologic units build, the result is larger and more powerful than the individual parts. At a critical number a spark of life emerges within the body, and a mind emerges from both of them. When and how that happens remains a mystery.

Our first project is not to delve into the yet unanswerable “hows” of life, but rather into the “hows” of structure. Structure is complex, but the pattern of units connecting and organizing is universal and permeates structure from the subcellular level to the whole body and even beyond into our communities.

Some Quotes About the Brick Principle

“A great building will never stand if you neglect the small bricks.”

Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

“Love is like a brick. You can build a house, or you can sink a dead body.” Lady Gaga

“Brick and blood built Astapor, and brick and blood her people.”
George R R Martin – A Storm of Swords

14. “Genius too does nothing but learn first how to lay bricks then how to build, and continually seek for material and continually form itself around it.Every activity of man is amazingly complicated, not only that of the genius: but none is a ‘miracle.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

“I fear that in this thing many rich people deceive themselves. They go on accumulating the means but never using them; making bricks, but never building.”
George Eliot

“Faith. Trust. They don’t come naturally, but as we lay those first bricks, we notice that little by little, a foundation is forming. Eventually we can end up building the most beautiful things with faith and trust.”
José N. Harris

“Bricks without straw are more easily made than imagination without memories.”
Author: Lord Dunsany

“It takes a thousand bricks to build a wall, but only one to tear it down.”
Markus W. Lunner

Posted on April 19, 2016February 17, 2023 by Ashley Davidoff

Life, Cells, the US Constitution, and Trees

Life, Cells,the US Constitution, and Trees

is an odd combination of concepts. At first glance the title of the blog reveals a wide discrepancy of ideas, but in fact there are unifying concepts that bring them together.

The United States is one of the advanced cultures of the modern world. Its magnificent constitution states “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The wisdom rests firstly in the notion that “we the people” is the focus of all subsequent intentions resolutions and actions. Secondly it provides hope and promise of a happy and safe society. This statement of the constitution is satisfied in the biology of the cell, but not to the same extent in the dynamics of society. We do not fully appreciate what perfection has been accomplished in the microcosm of our bodies nor how apt the opening statement is to the cells that make up living organisms. The cells in truth realise all the promises of the preamble, including a perfect union, justice, tranquility, defence, general welfare, liberty, and posterity.

Trees, US Ideology, Cells, and the Body

Living structures are characterized by their ability to move, grow, reproduce, acquire and transport metabolic products, and protect themselves — all so they can function and contribute to the bigger community. The cell as the basic building block of life and living organisms performs all the described functions effortlessly, innately and automatically. For the cell, life happens without struggle or effort. People perform the same characteristics of life, but many individuals struggle to fulfil basic needs to satisfaction.

Constitutional Makeup of the Body

The AiA art piece puts the cell in the centre of the body. The cells, acting in combination with other cells, give life to their person in accordance with the preamble of the constitution. People in combination with other people give life to their society.

From a physical perspective, biology has worked out a mechanism to keep all the 3.7 trillion cells of a single human being satisfied, fed, protected and fully functioning in their specific capacity. The liver cell is fulfilled in its capacity as a liver cell, and the same for the myocardial and brain cell. In fact all animal cells live and do what they were born to do, and are fulfilled until disease or death. The world of botany has accomplished similar magnificence.

Constitutional Makeup of the Tree

Tree cells in combination give life to the tree in accordance with the principles of the constitution.

The 7.1 billion humans of the earth are still stuttering along, despite the lofty aspirations of the US Constitution. Many citizens go hungry, innumerable are homeless and countless die in war. The particular focus of this blog is to observe and appreciate the success of cells in the body, and try to understand and apply the processes that make them so successful to our society at large.

Branching Patterns in Nature – Success Story of Delivery and Waste Removal

YinYang Tree – From Environment to Life in the Trees

The AiA rendering amplifies the arborising pattern of the roots and the branches in a background of the environment fuelled by the sun, air- filled atmosphere, and the earth. The tree unit consists of two opposing forces just like the negative and positive forces of the atom. The bare roots represent one force and the leaf filled flowering branches the other. They need each other and both need the environment (and the environment needs them) to develop, flourish and contribute. They use a branching system at both ends to move nutrients and water efficiently .

What Do We as A Society Have to Learn from from the Yin-Yang Tree?

Opposing forces, when working together, enable both to flourish as individuals and as a new unit. We need the man with the woman, the roots with the wings, the roots with the branches, the winter with the summer, the past with the future, the positive with the negative. In the realm of tubes and flow we need a difference in pressure – a relative positive and a relative negative in order for the contents of the tube to flow.

In the Leaves

The geometric arborising pattern is universal and is shown in veins of the ivy leaf

Heart Shaped Chines Lantern Flower

The dried flower reveals a delicate capillary-like infrastructure which is the transport mechanism for the petals. The flower enfolds and defends a barely appreciated, delicate fruit buried within its husk. The need to protect its fruit manifests parental love which it can only do because it has an efficient transport mechanism to maintain itself.

Branching Patterns in the Body –The Vascular System

Supply and Removal of Metabolites and Waste

The transport systems of biology are exemplified by phenomenal branching tube morphology that is efficient. The delivery and removal system in the form of arteries, capillaries and veins is 60,000 miles long (2.5 X the distance around the earth) – and with a pump that beats on the average of 72 times per minute, 3.7 trillion cells are continually fed and cleared of waste, and as a result can be productive and fulfilled. Food is delivered and is waste removed from the front door of every cell constantly. Each cell understands and applies the Goldilocks principle – “Take Not too much , nor too little, but what is just right for your needs.”

The Pulsatile Miracle Circulation

The Circulation; A Pump, Arteries, Capillaries, and Veins

Capillary Network At the Front Door of the Cells

Specific Circulations

Note that the abdomen has been turned upside down in order to appreciate the tree like formation of the portal vein and small bowel.

The liver is seen at bottom left in purple and the spleen (right) in orange

The Spleen

The Splenic Arterial Tree

The Kidneys

Renal Veins By Doppler Ultrasound in Spring

The Liver

The Hepatic Venules

Ductal Systems

Ducts of the Breast

Histology of the Glands of the Breast

Bile Ductal System Working Night and Day

Dilated Biliary Ductal System and the Bonsai Tree

The Tree of the Prostate Gland

Organs and Other Structures with Tree Like Shapes

A Forest of Kidney Trees

Ginkgo Lung Tree

A Winter Tree of Hands Under the Moonlight

The Brain

The Brain Tree

Derivation of the Brain Tree – Artistic Recreation

The Arbor Vitae – Tree of Life of the Cerebellum

Tree -Like Purkinje Cells

Drawing of Purkinje cells (A) and granule cells (B) from pigeon cerebellum by Santiago Ramón y Cajal, 1899; Instituto Cajal, Madrid, Spain. Public Domain

Drawing by Camillo Golgi of a hippocampus stained using the silver nitrate method and digitally rendered by the artist

This treelike branching pattern of neurons responsible for consciousness seems to be a structural feature of the universe itself.

Realising “We the People” – First Step – Efficient Supply and Removal of Metabolites and Waste for the People of the World

Without adequate food and water, the promise of “We the people” of the preamble of the constitution cannot be fulfilled. Currently 1 in 9 people in the world do not have enough food. Without this basic need they are unable to lead an active and healthy life. Is it because there is not enough food in the world? Is it because the 3rd world starving countries are too far away from the excess food of the farms of abundance? The skin cell at the tip of the most remote toe or the most remote cell at the top of the head are equally supplied according to their need. In a healthy individual no cell gets left behind. Yet many people get left behind in the world.

How to do it?

To some extent we have built and continue to build an arborising network for water supply and waste removal. In the US 86% of the population have clean water delivered. In developing countries efficient water supply and sewerage facilities are lacking. One in 10 people lack safe access to clean water, and 1 in 3 lack access to a toilet (water.org). Building a similar network that spans the world and delivers food to the front door of all the people of the world is the obvious first step. Yet it seems like a pipe dream. The network of information provided by the internet was also a pipe dream for people like Nikola Tesla who had a vision for a “world wireless system” in the early 1900s. The ability to deliver real time information to the front door via the world wide web is only 30 years old. Could anybody prior to 20th century imagine such a technological accomplishment? If only we could deliver food via an innate arborising pattern. What if, for example, a high calorie liquid energy food could be delivered alongside the arborising water system? It may not be a classical meal but it is certainly more than nothing. The practical intent of this blog is to draw parallels between biology and society, which can learn from an almost perfect delivery and removal system, most commonly in the form of tree-like branching.

The universe has evolved over about 13.7 billion years and in so doing has the wisdom of time on its side. Over this time, it has developed systems that optimise energy and efficiency. We as thinking biological beings have evolved highly developed biological processes over the last 2.4 billion years. We have developed a mind and free choice. The mind for us has been a double edged sword – both a gift and a curse. A gift because it has given us an ego, individuality, tribalism, heterogeneous cultures, poetry, literature, art, theater, science, dance, athletics, religion, and organization, but a curse that has brought ego, selfishness, pride, religion, jealousy, murder, bigotry, prejudice, and tribalism. The desire to live in “a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” requires that basic biological requirements are available and met. The cells of the healthy body have acquired the aspirations of the US Constitution.

The cell has no mind nor ego and is therefore waiting only for evolutionary changes. We as thinking beings want it all now, and continue to try and improve our lot in a lifetime and are too impatient to be happy with our lot. We therefore push the double-edged envelope with our ego and in so doing while we are social beings we are competitive individuals at the same time. This creates an internal conflict and conflict with others making perfect union a dream rather than reality. The start for the world should be an efficient low energy, arborising delivery system, for food and water system for all people. Without this the US Constitutional aspirations are only a dream.

Hillel recognized the conflict. “If I am not for myself,” he said, “who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I. And if not now when then?” It is the balance of “I” and “they” that we have to find. The cells have done it – Why can’t we?

Posted on November 20, 2015February 17, 2023 by Ashley Davidoff

Biological Rhythms

Biological Rhythms – Anatomy of the Fall- and Thanksgiving

The Fall

Mixed messages.

Maturation with impending death.

Strong green,

Hints of orange, yellow, and red

Skulls and ghosts in gardens

Thanksgiving

Mortality and cycles of life

“Early Fall”

shows a CT scan of a skull in the aging garden as the time of the Fall shows its beautiful head. Some of the greens are still green but there is a sense of a cycle moving forward to a next phase as some leaves start to show their mature age with the coming of the fall season.

Time moves on

Yellows oranges and reds become deeper…

And more intense

And we understand George Eliot

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,”

“Mid Fall and Halloween”

shows a CT scan of a skull with reducing volume of bone as the Fall ages and becomes fatter. The skull is located in the aging garden as the time progresses to the mature and mellow yellow, oranges, and reds. There is a sense of a seasonal cycle moving forward. Middle fall is the season of Halloween when we are reminded of our mortality.

We take the dog for a walk

And everywhere it says

Death is coming

“Autumn Reminding Us of Mortality”

shows the sentiment of the Fall as we move on in our life cycles. Biology by its natural cycles will have a beginning, a middle and an end. The fall is a time for contemplation and a reminder to make sweet while the sun shines.

Halloween brings the

Cutest of our society to say

“Do not to worry – there is youth in this season also”

And a pregnant Mommy stands behind smiling

Yet another inner maturation –

Cycles within cycles

“An Autumn Beginning for this Baby”

shows an MRI of a pregnant uterus in the third trimester. For this baby the fall is a beginning

So I come to think of the parts that make the whole

Of members of my inner society

And start with the cell

“The Cell in the Autumn of Its Life Cycle”

shows the cell in the its own mature and mellow colors in a background of yellows and oranges of the seasonal external cycle. The beauty and reality of the seasons and biological rhythms are in us and all around us.

And think about the tree of my breath

As it goes through its cycles

“Ginkgo Lung in the Fall”

is a rendering of a CT scan showing an upside airways forming the trunk and branches of a tree. The lungs have been reshaped and colored to reflect the shape of the ginkgo leaf in the Fall.

And about my aging bones that

Used to run in the park with no effort

“Anatomy of a Jog in the Fall”

shows X-rays of the calves of a runner taking a run through the park in the late fall season. The orange colors reflect a mature part of a cycle as well as portray the element of time

and of the agility and beauty of a dancer in her prime

“En Pointe in the Fall”

shows X-rays of the foot of a ballet dancer “en pointe” in the park in the late fall season. The yellow colors reflect a mature part of a cycle as well as portray the element of time

I try to shake off the melancholy

Uplifted by the performance ….

Through my orange eyes

“The Dance of Autumn”

shows an impressionistic portrayal of contemporary dance in the Fall. The mature and mellow colors are reflected in the yellows and oranges with the occasional splash of evergreen green.

And then we give thanks

For being alive

And for being part of a bigger family

The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth, 1914

(Original by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, Modified Public Domain Image )

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”
― Jim Bishop

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Posted on November 19, 2015February 17, 2023 by Ashley Davidoff

Art of Anatomy of the Pancreas

Introduction

Pancreas in the Sky

is a photograph that shows a cloud formation embodying the shape of a pancreas

The anatomy of the pancreas is unusual and the physiology is multifaceted. It is a gland and is part of both the digestive and hormonal systems of the body. Structurally it is characterised by its unusual shape and position and the absence of a capsule. Functionally it is involved in the digestion of food as well as in the metabolism of glucose. The most common diseases include pancreatitis, pancreatic carcinoma and diabetes. Serum tests, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI and endoscopy are most commonly used in diagnosis of pancreatic disease. Treatment options include medical treatment (eg insulin in type 1 diabetes) minimally invasive procedures, and surgery.

“Pancreas in Pink”

is artwork derived from a CT scan and shows the upper abdominal cavity with the pancreas in bright pink surrounded by the liver, gallbladder, and kidneys. The aorta and inferior vena cava are the major transport vessels and serve to connect the organs.

Structure

Unusual Shape

“…and we stare in awe at your odd shape – why oh why did you choose that shape?
What are you supposed to look like? – we have no clue”

from “Hermit of the Abdomen”

Shapes of the Pancreas

The pancreas has been compared to many objects including an elongated comma on its side, an elongated number 9 on its side, a prism, a banana, an inverted and curved upside down tobacco pipe, and even an old fashioned revolver. Placing a seahorse or a woodpecker with head down and tail up probably brings us closest to the complex shape of the pancreas. The objects used for description are so varied and disparate, that one wonders if we truly have a grasp of the shape of this organ. A more practical way to look at the shape of the organ is to define the shape of its component parts.

Structure – Position

Deep in the Abdomen in the Retroperitoneum

The pancreas lies in the anterior pararenal space of the retroperitoneum surrounded by a vertebral body and kidneys posteriorly, the liver and gall bladder to its right, the spleen to its left, and the stomach and left lobe of the liver in front. This AiA rendering shows the pancreas cycling through the seasons. In the spring it is in shades of pink, the summer in blue, the fall in red, and in the winter in ice blue and white.

Function

The pancreas has dual functions in the the metabolism of the body. It acts as an as both an exocrine gland (secretes into ducts) and an endocrine gland (secretes into the circulation).

As an exocrine gland it secretes enzymes into ducts that lead to the duodenum. These enzymes aid in the digestion of fat, proteins, and carbohydrates. As an endocrine gland it is a key player in the control of glucose metabolism which it accomplishes by secreting insulin into the circulation.

The acini are the microscopic glands making up 98% of the parenchyma and they function as the exocrine component.

“Blueberries of the Glands of the Pancreas”

is a rendering of the histological appearance of the pancreatic acinar glands. The artpiece illustrates the ductules that subtends the acini which are the exocrine glandular cells. The shape of the acinar cells and ductules are reminiscent of grapes or berries on a stalk.

“Histology of the Glands of the Pancreas”

The exocrine hormones of the pancreas that aid in the digestion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates are produced in the acinar cells in the glandular unit called the acinus. The art piece shows the acinus with acinar cells and the duct that transports the secretions to the pancreatic duct and eventually to the duodenum where they aid in the digestion of proteins fats and carbohydrates.

The islets of Langerhans secrete insulin into the blood stream, very soon after ingestion of a meal in order to control blood sugar and intracellular glucose concentrations. The endocrine cells called the islets of Langerhans represent only 1-2% of the tissue volume of the pancreas, but play a vital role in body function and well being. They are most numerous in the tail of the pancreas.

Islets of Langerhans

Immunohistochemistry on mouse pancreas for insulin shows the brown stained Islets of Langerhans that secrete insulin among the acinar cells. They represent only 2% of the population of pancreatic cells.

(Modified Image – Courtesy Billyboy Wikipedia Public Domain)

Diseases

Acute Necrotic Pancreatitis

This is a CT of an elderly man who had severe pancreatitis. Within the retroperitoneum there is necrotic pancreas (asterisk). It is enlarged and consists mostly of air (arrow), fluid, and high density hemorrhagic components. The findings are consistent with a gangrenous pancreatic abscess. The surgeon noted that the pancreas looked and smelled like a “dead fish…. that had been dead for quite a long time.” Other structures including the gallbladder(gb), liver, kidneys, spleen and stomach surround the pancreas

Pancreatic Cancer with Spread to the Liver

The CT scan shows a primary pancreatic cancer (red asterisk) with metastases to the liver. Four of many metastases are identified with white asterisks

Normal Pancreatic Cells and Pancreatic Cancer Cells

In the upper image the cellular makeup of the acinar cells of the pancreas manifest with a normal nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio reflecting the relative size of the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The 2nd image show cancerous cells of the exocrine pancreas. The blue nuclii are far too large for the amount of the cytoplasm of the cell (abnormal nuclear to cytoplasm ratio). The malignant cells are also too dark (hyperchromatic) and lack uniformity and organization. These are all features of malignant cells . Cancerous cells do not obey the rules of the body and have no regard for the body at large. Malignant cells are equivalent to rebels in the community. They destroy and do not contribute to the wellbeing of the society. They also invade the territory of neighboring structures.

Ravages of Diabetes

The foot of a person with diabetes following amputation of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th digits as a result of poor circulation of the tissues. The magnified view shows the calcification and hardening of the arteries.

Diagnosis

“Doppler Ultrasound of the Pancreas-Hermit of the Abdomen”

shows the pancreas in black in front of the splenic vein

“ERCP – Ductal Skeleton of the Pancreas”

is from an ERCP with an injection into normal the dorsal pancreatic duct of Wirsung with contrast also noted in the distal common bile duct

“Arteries of the Pancreas”

is from an angiogram of the celiac axis and shows the multiple arteries that supply the pancreas. The head of the pancreas is supplied by the superior pancreatico-duodenal vessels which arises from the gastroduodenal artery, and inferior pancreatico-duodenal artery which arises from the SMA. The body is supplied by the splenic artery and the superior mesenteric artery.

Treatment

Treatment options include medical treatment (eg insulin in type 1 diabetes) minimally invasive procedures for drainage and relief of obstruction, and surgery.

3D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Structure of Insulin Dimer

(Modified from public domain image from Wikipedia and Courtesy Jawahar Swaminathan Jawahar Swaminathan and MSD staff at the European Bioinformatics Institute)

“And then a bone guy – for God’s sakes – a bone guy! – called Banting and his student Best
exposed the insular chemistry of your insulin that had given you the power over the sweet
Never mind – in the end it was for the good of all –
And a new era was born

from “Hermit of the Abdomen” Davidoff

Pancreas and Buddies

This aquatic scene shows the relationship of the pancreas to its neighbours particularly the splenic vein and left renal vein which run a parallel course, almost like a bunch of buddies romping in the water. The arching bodies with heads all in the same direction is quite beautiful

And then I think of you in your prime and in your happiness
When you are with your two buddies – the splenic vein and the renal vein
And you all look so much alike, and happy swimming in that deep ocean where you hide
And I wish this was forever”

from “Hermit of the Abdomen” Davidoff

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ART IN ANATOMY

Category: Cells

We the Cells of the Body, Want to Create a More Perfect Union

Adam and Eve Choose Cabinet Members for the Body’s Society of Cells

And so what to do now?

Essential Functions

Finding the Leader Cell to Control, Manage and Direct

Finding a Cell for Protection

Finding a Cell to Manufacture Food, Energy, and Other Needed Products

Finding a Cell to Lead the Transport Function

Finding the Cell to Lead Maintenance: Repair, Cleaning and Waste Removal

Preparation for the Next Generation

Best for Last: Reproduction

And the next day…

The Common Vein: Anatomy of Structure – Units and Connections

Structure – The First Step

The Units That Make the Whole – The Brick and the Brick Principle

The Units That Make the Body – The Cell and the Brick Principle

Some Quotes About the Brick Principle

Life, Cells, the US Constitution, and Trees

Life, Cells,the US Constitution, and Trees

Branching Patterns in Nature – Success Story of Delivery and Waste Removal

What Do We as A Society Have to Learn from from the Yin-Yang Tree?

Branching Patterns in the Body –The Vascular System

Specific Circulations

The Brain

The Heart

The Lungs

The Gastrointestinal Tract

The Spleen

The Kidneys

The Liver

Ductal Systems

Organs and Other Structures with Tree Like Shapes

The Brain

Biological Rhythms

Biological Rhythms – Anatomy of the Fall- and Thanksgiving

Art of Anatomy of the Pancreas

Art of Anatomy of the Pancreas

Introduction