Do you know what the pancreas? This organ and its functions are commonly unknown, although it performs a vital function for human development. Therefore, it is important to know how the pancreas and thus understand the importance of this gland of the digestive and endocrine system. Don’t wait any longer and learn with aHowTo what is the function of the pancreas.
What is the pancreas and where is it?
The pancreas is a gland elongated that is located in the abdomen and whose size ranges between 15 and 20 cm in length and about 4 cm in thickness. This organ has a conical shape: the right side is the widest part is what is known as the head of the pancreas and is located in the curvature of the duodenum, while the left part – body and tail – is narrower and slightly raised towards above, ending near the spleen.
The pancreas is located behind the stomach and, due to the fact that it is located in such a deep area of the abdomen, it is very difficult to palpate. It is located at the same height as the second and third lumbar vertebrae.
Exocrine function
The first function of the pancreas is exocrine, that is, that secretes enzymes to the digestive tract to facilitate the breakdown of the food we eat. These substances are found in the pancreatic juice and they pass to the small intestine or duodenum through a series of ducts.
This juice has an alkaline pH and its main components are bicarbonates, water, and enzymes such as amylase, esterase, and nuclease, as well as proteolytic enzymes. Every day, between 1,000 and 1,500 cm³ of pancreatic juice can be secreted.
Endocrine function
On the other hand, the pancreas also fulfills an endocrine function, so that secretes hormones into the bloodstream such as insulin, glucagon and somatostatin. Endocrine secretion occurs in the islets of Langerhans, that is, in clusters of α and β cells (alpha and beta) that are distributed throughout this organ. These hormones are responsible for regulating the blood glucose levels: Insulin lowers sugar and glucagon increases it.
Likewise, this gland also contains δ (delta) cells that are the producers of somatostatin that controls the secretion of the other two hormones.
More about the pancreas
As you will have deduced after the explanation about the functions of the pancreas, the importance of this organ is vital and, therefore, we must do everything possible to take care of the pancreas.
In the same way, sometimes it can be difficult to detect pancreatic conditions and pathologies, so we suggest you consult:
If you want to read more articles similar to What is the function of the pancreas, we recommend that you enter our Training category.