Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

palpebral gland
See 
gland, Meibomian.
palpitations
Unpleasant sensations of irregular
and/or forceful beating of the heart. In some
patients with palpitations, no heart disease or
abnormal heart rhythms can be found. In others,
palpitations result from abnormal heart rhythms
(arrhythmias).
pain, back
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palsy
Paralysis, generally partial, whereby a local
body area is incapable of voluntary movement. For
example, Bell’s palsy is localized paralysis of the
muscles on one side of the face.
palsy, Bell’s
See 
Bell’s palsy.
palsy, cerebral
See 
cerebral palsy.
palsy, laryngeal
See 
laryngeal palsy.
paludism
See 
malaria.
panacea
A universal remedy, a cure-all. The
ancients sought—but never found—a panacea that
would cure all disease.
pancolitis
See 
colitis, ulcerative.
pancreas
A spongy, tube-shaped organ that is
about 6 inches long and is located in the back of the
abdomen, behind the stomach. The head of the pan-
creas is on the right side of the abdomen. It is con-
nected to the upper end of the small intestine. The
narrow end of the pancreas, called the tail, extends
to the left side of the body. The pancreas makes pan-
creatic juices and hormones, including insulin and
secretin. Pancreatic juices contain enzymes that help
digest food in the small intestine. Both pancreatic
enzymes and hormones are needed to keep the body
working correctly. As pancreatic juices are made,
they flow into the main pancreatic duct, which joins
to the common bile duct, which connects the pan-
creas to the liver and the gallbladder and carries bile
to the small intestine near the stomach. The pancreas
is thus a compound gland in the sense that it is com-
posed of both exocrine and endocrine tissues. The
exocrine function of the pancreas involves the syn-
thesis and secretion of pancreatic juices. The
endocrine function resides in the million or so cellu-
lar islands (the islets of Langerhans) that are embed-
ded between the exocrine units of the pancreas. Beta
cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete insulin,
which helps control carbohydrate metabolism. Alpha
cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete glucagon,
which counters the action of insulin.