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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.
The pancreas is located in the visceral region, and is a major part of the digestive system required for proper digestion and subsequent assimilation of macronutrient substances required for living. Pancreatic juice is alkaline in nature due to the high concentration of bicarbonate ions.
Depending on how their products are secreted, exocrine glands are categorized as merocrine, apocrine, or holocrine. [ 1 ] Merocrine – the cells of the gland excrete their substances by exocytosis into a duct; for example, pancreatic acinar cells, eccrine sweat glands [ dubious – discuss ] , salivary glands , goblet cells , intestinal glands ...
An exocrine pancreas cell is a pancreatic cell that produces enzymes that are secreted into the small intestine. These enzymes help digest food by releasing enzymes as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract. These include acinar cells, which secrete bicarbonate solution and mucin
Pancreas is both an endocrine and an exocrine gland, in that it functions to produce endocrinic hormones released into the circulatory system (such as insulin, and glucagon), to control glucose metabolism, and also to secrete digestive / exocrinic pancreatic juice, which is secreted eventually via the pancreatic duct into the duodenum ...
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.
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.
Protein digestion occurs in the stomach and duodenum in which 3 main enzymes, pepsin secreted by the stomach and trypsin and chymotrypsin secreted by the pancreas, break down food proteins into polypeptides that are then broken down by various exopeptidases and dipeptidases into amino acids.