What is racemose gland?

A racemose gland is a type of compound gland made up of many small sacs that form its secretory portion. It is also called a compound alveolar gland or a compound acinar gland.

Saccular (alveolar) glands have a sac-like secretory part with an expanded lumen, similar to the tiny alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs. A racemose gland is essentially a composite alveolar or compound acinar gland.

The pancreas is an example of a compound racemose gland. It resembles the salivary glands but is softer and less densely packed. It produces pancreatic juice, an important digestive fluid, which is carried to the duodenum through the pancreatic duct.

Glands can also be simple tubular, like those at the pyloric end of the stomach (with shorter ducts), or compound racemose, like the duodenal glands. A sweat gland, on the other hand, is a simple tubular gland, shaped like a coiled tube beneath the skin.