Ontogeny, differentiation and growth of the endocrine pancreas.

The pancreas develops from the primitive foregut endoderm, which differentiates into ductal, acinar and endocrine cells. This complex process is probably replicated in the adult pancreas when endocrine cell renewal is required, as may be the case in diabetes mellitus. This review describes what is known about the morphogenesis of the endocrine pancreas during ontogeny and the mechanisms regulating its differentiation and growth.