Acinus

Template:Infobox Anatomy

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753

An acinus (adjective: acinar, plural acini) refers to the berry-shaped termination of an exocrine gland, where the secretion is produced.

They are found in many organs, including:

• the stomach^[1]

• the sebaceous gland of the scalp

• the salivary glands of the tongue^[2]

• the liver

• the lacrimal glands

• the pancreas ^[3]

Mucous acini usually stain pale, while serous acini usually stain dark.

The term “acinus” is considered synonymous with alveolus by some sources, but not all.