The Pancreas

A glandular organ located just below the stomach and is attached to the small intestine at the duodenum is called pancreas. It is somewhat yellow in color and about 7 inches long and 1.5 inches wide in size. The function of the pancreas is to secrete digestive enzymes and hormones. The two hormones being secreted by the enzyme producing cells in the pancreas are insulin and glucagon. Both hormones control the amount of glucose in the blood since they are directly secreted into the bloodstream. Insulin plays a vital role as it lowers the sugar level of the blood and at the same time increases the glucagon content, also known as stored carbohydrate, of the liver. On the other hand the role of the glucagon is to slowly escalate the sugar level in the blood whenever it goes down below normal level. If the pancreas will not function well, the secretion of the two important hormones, the insulin and the glucagon, is greatly affected. This is how people develop diabetes.

The pancreas also generates enzymes that are premeditated to digest the foods that we ate. Another function of the pancreas is to aid in neutralizing chime and breaking down of proteins, fats and starches in our body.