Function of pancreas

The Digestive Process: What Is the Role of Your Pancreas in Digestion? Your pancreas plays a big role in digestion. It is located inside your belly (abdomen), just behind your stomach. It's about the size of your hand. During digestion, your pancreas makes pancreatic juices called enzymes. These enzymes break down sugars, fats, proteins, and starches. Your pancreas also helps your digestive system by making hormones. These are chemical messengers that travel through your blood. Pancreatic hormones help regulate your blood sugar levels and appetite, stimulate stomach acids, and tell your stomach when to empty. Pancreatic enzymes Your pancreas creates natural juices called pancreatic enzymes to break down foods. These juices travel through your pancreas by tubes called ducts. They empty into the upper part of your small intestine called the duodenum. Each day, your pancreas makes about 8 ounces of digestive juice filled with enzymes. These are the different enzymes: • Lipase. This enzyme works together with bile, which your liver produces, to break down fat in your diet. If you don't have enough lipase, your body will have trouble absorbing fat and the important fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Symptoms of poor fat absorption include diarrhea and fatty bowel movements. • Protease. This enzyme breaks down proteins in your diet. It also helps protect you from germs that may live in your intestines, such as certain bacteria and yeast. Undigested proteins can cause allergic re...

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: • Describe the location and structure of the pancreas, and the morphology and function of the pancreatic islets • Compare and contrast the functions of insulin and glucagon The pancreas is a long, slender organ, most of which is located posterior to the bottom half of the stomach (Figure 1). Although it is primarily an exocrine gland, secreting a variety of digestive enzymes, the pancreas has an endocrine function. Its pancreatic islets—clusters of cells formerly known as the islets of Langerhans—secrete the hormones glucagon, insulin, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide (PP). Figure 1. The pancreatic exocrine function involves the acinar cells secreting digestive enzymes that are transported into the small intestine by the pancreatic duct. Its endocrine function involves the secretion of insulin (produced by beta cells) and glucagon (produced by alpha cells) within the pancreatic islets. These two hormones regulate the rate of glucose metabolism in the body. The micrograph reveals pancreatic islets. LM × 760. (Micrograph provided by the Regents of University of Michigan Medical School © 2012) View the Cells and Secretions of the Pancreatic Islets The pancreatic islets each contain four varieties of cells: • The alpha cell produces the hormone glucagon and makes up approximately 20 percent of each islet. Glucagon plays an important role in blood glucose regulation; low blood glucose levels stimulate ...

Your pancreas helps you regulate the way that your body processes sugar. It also serves an important function in releasing enzymes and helping you digest food. When your pancreas becomes inflamed, this condition is called Because the pancreas is so closely tied to your digestive process, it’s affected by what you eat. In cases of acute pancreatitis, pancreas inflammation is often triggered by With chronic pancreatitis, the inflammation is long-term and does not fully heal. This can affect your ability to absorb nutrients from food. Researchers are finding out more about foods you can eat to protect your pancreas and help it function at its best. During an episode of acute pancreatitis, the first step of treatment often involves avoiding all food and drink. Your health care team may need to administer a special liquid diet, IV fluids, or After a pancreatitis flare-up, your doctor will tell you when you can begin to consume food and drinks again. To reduce symptoms during recovery, your doctor may recommend starting with starchy foods like rice, pasta, and bread. Pair these starchy foods with foods that are rich in protein and low in fat. Some examples are lean meats, skinless poultry, Vegetables and fruits are also important parts of a healthy eating plan for acute pancreatitis. Cooking more of your meals at home is one way to help reduce fat intake. When you’re eating prepared foods or dining out, choose low fat options whenever possible. Sometimes, pancreatitis can cause ...

Share on Pinterest The pancreas This organ also produces insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood glucose levels. The cells that produce insulin are called beta cells and sit in the islets of Langerhans, a set of structures within the pancreas. Insulin helps the body use If there is insufficient insulin in the body, cells can no longer take up glucose from the blood. As a result, levels of glucose in the blood rise. A doctor may refer to this as having high blood glucose, or Hyperglycemia is responsible for most of the symptoms and complications of diabetes. The main feature of diabetes is high blood glucose. This results from insufficient insulin production or function, which can result from issues with the pancreas. People with diabetes experience high or Type 1 and type 2 diabetes both Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make enough, or any, insulin. Without this hormone, the cells cannot get enough energy from food. This form of diabetes results from the body’s People with type 1 diabetes can rebalance their blood glucose levels by receiving insulin injections or wearing an insulin pump every day. Doctors once called this type “juvenile diabetes” because it often develops during the childhood or teenage years. There is no clear cause of type 1 diabetes. Some Type 2 diabetes This type of diabetes occurs when the body builds up a resistance to insulin. While the pancreas may still produce the hormone, the body’s cells cannot use it effec...

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain the role of the pancreatic endocrine cells in the regulation of blood glucose • Describe the location and structure of the pancreas, and the morphology and function of the pancreatic islets • Compare and contrast the function and regulation of insulin and glucagon The pancreas is a long, slender organ, most of which is located posterior to the bottom half of the stomach ( pancreatic islets—clusters of cells formerly known as the islets of Langerhans—secrete the hormones glucagon, insulin, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide (PP). Figure 17.9.1 – Pancreas Pancreas endocrine function involves the secretion of insulin (produced by beta cells) and glucagon (produced by alpha cells) within the pancreatic islets. These two hormones regulate the rate of glucose metabolism in the body. The micrograph reveals pancreatic islets. LM × 760. Also shown are the exocrine acinar cells. (Micrograph provided by the Regents of University of Michigan Medical School © 2012. View the University of Michigan WebScope at Cells and Secretions of the Pancreatic Islets The pancreatic islets each contain four varieties of cells: • The alpha cell produces the hormone glucagon and makes up approximately 20 percent of each islet. Low blood glucose levels stimulate the release of glucagon. • The beta cell produces the hormone insulin and makes up approximately 75 percent of each islet. Elevated blood glucose levels sti...