Pancreas
Say it: PAN-kree-us
The pancreas is a gland behind the stomach that sends digestive enzymes to the small intestine and releases insulin and glucagon into the blood.
Definition
What is the pancreas?
The pancreas is a long, soft gland that lies across the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. Its head sits in the curve of the duodenum, where the small intestine begins, and its tail reaches toward the spleen. It is a mixed gland that does two quite different jobs.
Most of the pancreas is exocrine tissue. Grape-like clusters of cells called acini make pancreatic juice, which carries enzymes that digest proteins, fats, carbohydrates and nucleic acids, plus bicarbonate that neutralizes the acid arriving from the stomach. Ducts deliver this juice into the duodenum. The protein-digesting enzymes are released in an inactive form and switched on only once they reach the intestine, which keeps them from attacking the gland itself.
Scattered through the gland are small endocrine clusters called the islets of Langerhans. Their beta cells release insulin, which lowers blood glucose, and their alpha cells release glucagon, which raises it; other islet cells make somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide. Loss or failure of beta cells lies behind diabetes mellitus, and inflammation of the gland is called pancreatitis.
Word parts
Where does the word “pancreas” come from?
- pan-
- allGreek pan
- -creas
- fleshGreek kreas
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Related
Terms that go with it
- InsulinInsulin is a peptide hormone made by beta cells in the pancreas that lowers blood glucose by helping body cells take up and store sugar.
- GlucagonGlucagon is a peptide hormone made by alpha cells of the pancreas that raises blood glucose, mainly by making the liver release glucose.
- Diabetes mellitusDiabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in which blood glucose stays too high because the body makes too little insulin or cannot use it well.
- Endocrine systemThe endocrine system is the set of glands and cells that release hormones into the blood to regulate growth, metabolism, reproduction and more.
- DigestionDigestion is the process by which the body breaks food down, by chewing, churning and enzymes, into molecules small enough to absorb into the blood.
- EnzymeAn enzyme is a biological catalyst, usually a protein, that speeds up a specific chemical reaction without being used up in the process.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 23.6 Accessory Organs in Digestion: The Liver, Pancreas, and Gallbladder
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 17.9 The Endocrine Pancreas
- NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: pancreas
- NIDDK: Definition and Facts for Pancreatitis
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