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The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e., it has both an endocrine and a digestive exocrine function. [2] 99% of the pancreas is exocrine and 1% is endocrine.
There are about 1 million islets distributed throughout the pancreas of a healthy adult human. While islets vary in size, the average diameter is about 0.2 mm. [5]:928 Each islet is separated from the surrounding pancreatic tissue by a thin, fibrous, connective tissue capsule which is continuous with the fibrous connective tissue that is interwoven throughout the rest of the pancreas.
The duodenum receives excretions from various organs such as the pancreas and spleen. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. [4] [5] The second part is the jejunum, which is located in the middle of the small intestine. The final part of the small intestine is the ileum, which leads into the large intestine.
The pancreas is involved in digestion and managing blood sugar. When it's is in trouble, diabetes, pancreatitis, or pancreatic cancer can result. How to care for this organ.
Sometimes the pancreas fails to develop normally and there may be congenital defects associated with the uncinate process. The uncinate process may split and encircle the duodenum, which is known as an annular pancreas. [3] There is also a common condition called pancreas divisum where the dorsal and ventral pancreas do not fuse properly.
Ductal cells comprise about 10% of the pancreas by number and about 4% in volume. Its function is to secrete bicarbonate and mucins and to form the tubule network that transfers enzymes made by acinar cells to the duodenum. Ductal cells have a proliferation rate of about 0.5% in normal adults, but mitotic activity goes up when the pancreas is ...
The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion (the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller components, until they can be absorbed and assimilated into the body.
The pancreatic duct or duct of Wirsung (also, the major pancreatic duct due to the existence of an accessory pancreatic duct) is a duct joining the pancreas to the common bile duct. This supplies it with pancreatic juice from the exocrine pancreas, which aids in digestion.