Hepatopancreatic ampulla
Encyclopedia
The ampulla of Vater, also known as the , is formed by the union of the pancreatic duct
and the common bile duct
. The ampulla is specifically located at the major duodenal papilla
.
The ampulla of Vater is an important landmark, halfway along the second part of the duodenum
, that marks the anatomical transition from foregut
to midgut
(and hence the point where the celiac trunk stops supplying the gut and the superior mesenteric artery
takes over).
sphincter
s regulate the flow of bile
and pancreatic juice
through the ampulla: the sphincter of the pancreatic duct, the sphincter of the bile duct, and the hepatopancreatic sphincter (Sphincter of Oddi
).
The sphincter of Oddi
controls the introduction of bile and pancreatic secretions into the duodenum, as well as preventing the entry of duodenal contents into the ampulla.
(1684–1751), a German anatomist who first published a description of it in 1720.
Hepato - pancreatic anatomy:
The gall bladder has a duct that leaves the organ called the cystic duct.The cystic duct moves into the common bile duct. This duct breaks off into the right and left bile duct. The common bile duct feeds into the duodenum via the ampulla of Vater. The ampulla of Vater is the site where the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct converge. Leading from the pancreas is the pancreatic duct. The pancreatic duct delivers substances such as sodium hydrogencarbonate and digestive enzymes to the duodenum. The bile from the gall bladder contains salts which emulsify the fat droplets which are large, into much smaller units. This provides a large surface area for the lipase enzymes to act on. The sodium hydrogencarbonate neutralises the acidic chyme, creating alkaline conditions as enzymes such as chymotrypsin and amylase work best at these pH.
Pancreatic duct
The pancreatic duct, or duct of Wirsung , is a duct joining the pancreas to the common bile duct to supply pancreatic juices which aid in digestion provided by the "exocrine pancreas"...
and the common bile duct
Common bile duct
The common bile duct is a tube-like anatomic structure in the human gastrointestinal tract. It is formed by the union of the common hepatic duct and the cystic duct . It is later joined by the pancreatic duct to form the ampulla of Vater...
. The ampulla is specifically located at the major duodenal papilla
Major duodenal papilla
The common bile duct and the pancreatic duct together perforate the medial side of the second portion of the duodenum obliquely, some 7 to 10 cm below the pylorus, forming a structure called the major duodenal papilla....
.
The ampulla of Vater is an important landmark, halfway along the second part of the duodenum
Duodenum
The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms anterior intestine or proximal intestine may be used instead of duodenum...
, that marks the anatomical transition from foregut
Foregut
The foregut is the anterior part of the alimentary canal, from the mouth to the duodenum at the entrance of the bile duct. At this point it is continuous with the midgut...
to midgut
Midgut
The midgut is the portion of the embryo from which most of the intestines develop. After it bends around the superior mesenteric artery, it is called the "midgut loop"...
(and hence the point where the celiac trunk stops supplying the gut and the superior mesenteric artery
Superior mesenteric artery
In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies the intestine from the lower part of the duodenum through two-thirds of the transverse colon, as well as the pancreas.-Location...
takes over).
Function
Various smooth muscleSmooth muscle
Smooth muscle is an involuntary non-striated muscle. It is divided into two sub-groups; the single-unit and multiunit smooth muscle. Within single-unit smooth muscle tissues, the autonomic nervous system innervates a single cell within a sheet or bundle and the action potential is propagated by...
sphincter
Sphincter
A sphincter is an anatomical structure, or a circular muscle, that normally maintains constriction of a natural body passage or orifice and which relaxes as required by normal physiological functioning...
s regulate the flow of bile
Bile
Bile or gall is a bitter-tasting, dark green to yellowish brown fluid, produced by the liver of most vertebrates, that aids the process of digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In many species, bile is stored in the gallbladder and upon eating is discharged into the duodenum...
and pancreatic juice
Pancreatic juice
Pancreatic juice is a liquid secreted by the pancreas, which contains a variety of enzymes, including trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, elastase, carboxypeptidase, pancreatic lipase, and amylase....
through the ampulla: the sphincter of the pancreatic duct, the sphincter of the bile duct, and the hepatopancreatic sphincter (Sphincter of Oddi
Sphincter of Oddi
The sphincter of ampulla or sphincter of Oddi is a muscular valve that controls the flow of digestive juices through the ampulla of Vater into the second part of the duodenum. It is named after Ruggero Oddi...
).
The sphincter of Oddi
Sphincter of Oddi
The sphincter of ampulla or sphincter of Oddi is a muscular valve that controls the flow of digestive juices through the ampulla of Vater into the second part of the duodenum. It is named after Ruggero Oddi...
controls the introduction of bile and pancreatic secretions into the duodenum, as well as preventing the entry of duodenal contents into the ampulla.
Related disorders
- PancreatitisPancreatitisPancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It occurs when pancreatic enzymes that digest food are activated in the pancreas instead of the small intestine. It may be acute – beginning suddenly and lasting a few days, or chronic – occurring over many years...
can result from a failure of pancreatic secretions to drain properly. One possible cause of impaired drainage of pancreatic juice is blockage of the hepatopancreatic ampulla. A common culprit to cause blockage is a gallstoneGallstoneA gallstone is a crystalline concretion formed within the gallbladder by accretion of bile components. These calculi are formed in the gallbladder, but may pass distally into other parts of the biliary tract such as the cystic duct, common bile duct, pancreatic duct, or the ampulla of...
in the common bile ductCommon bile ductThe common bile duct is a tube-like anatomic structure in the human gastrointestinal tract. It is formed by the union of the common hepatic duct and the cystic duct . It is later joined by the pancreatic duct to form the ampulla of Vater...
.
Eponym
The eponymical term "ampulla of Vater" is named after Abraham VaterAbraham Vater
Abraham Vater was a German anatomist from Wittenberg. He received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Wittenberg in 1706, and his medical degree from the University of Leipzig in 1710...
(1684–1751), a German anatomist who first published a description of it in 1720.
Hepato - pancreatic anatomy:
The gall bladder has a duct that leaves the organ called the cystic duct.The cystic duct moves into the common bile duct. This duct breaks off into the right and left bile duct. The common bile duct feeds into the duodenum via the ampulla of Vater. The ampulla of Vater is the site where the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct converge. Leading from the pancreas is the pancreatic duct. The pancreatic duct delivers substances such as sodium hydrogencarbonate and digestive enzymes to the duodenum. The bile from the gall bladder contains salts which emulsify the fat droplets which are large, into much smaller units. This provides a large surface area for the lipase enzymes to act on. The sodium hydrogencarbonate neutralises the acidic chyme, creating alkaline conditions as enzymes such as chymotrypsin and amylase work best at these pH.