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Pancreas. Historical illustration of the pancreas (pale yellow) and the duodenum (pale blue, upper left). The centre diagram shows a cross-section through these organs. The ducts (pale blue) drain the digestive enzymes from the pancreas into the duodenum (here dark red), the first part of the small intestine. It is here that digestion of food from the stomach begins. The spleen is shown in the bottom two diagrams with the arterial blood supply shown at lower left. This organ contains lymphoid tissue, acts as a reservoir for blood and produces white blood cells for the immune system. Colour lithograph by Fairland from The Viscera of the Human Body, 1840. Based on drawings by Bagg. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/SHEILA TERRY)