Final answer:
The dorsal pancreatic bud is responsible for forming the superior part of the head, body, and tail of the pancreas. It fuses with the ventral pancreatic bud, which forms the remaining parts of the pancreas, including the uncinate process and the inferior part of the head.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dorsal pancreatic bud is one of the two embryonic buds that give rise to the pancreas. During embryonic development, the pancreas forms from the fusion of two buds, the dorsal and ventral pancreatic buds. The dorsal pancreatic bud specifically forms the superior part of the head, body, and tail of the pancreas. As the embryo develops, these pancreatic buds fuse to create a single organ with a complex duct system.
The exocrine function of the pancreas, which includes the secretion of digestive enzymes, arises from acinus cells at the terminal ends of the pancreatic ducts. These acinar cells release an enzyme-rich pancreatic juice into the duodenum through two primary ducts—the main pancreatic duct and the accessory duct (duct of Santorini). The main pancreatic duct merges with the common bile duct to enter the duodenum via the hepatopancreatic ampulla, regulated by the smooth muscle sphincter of this ampulla.
The development of this complex gland involves not only differentiation into various cell types but also the organization of ducts and endocrine clusters. The remainder of the pancreas, including the inferior part of the head and the uncinate process, develops from the ventral pancreatic bud.