Pancreas

The pancreas is a gland that produces hormones and pancreatic juice. The latter flows into the small intestine via the intestinal canal in order to facilitate the digestion of fat, protein and sugar. Pancreatic juice consists primarily of water, bicarbonate and around 20 digestive enzymes. Bicarbonate makes it possible to neutralise the acidity of chyme from the stomach, thereby preventing intestinal burning. Lipase enzymes transform triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol while phospholipases break down the phospholipids. Proteases (trypsin and chymotrypsin) follow the action of pepsin and break down proteins into polypeptides and amino acids. Amylases break down starch and glycogen into glucose and maltose. Hormone production takes place in the collections of cells spread over the pancreas known as islets of Langerhans.

 

They amount to approximately one million in number, despite accounting for just one per cent of the total mass of the pancreas. They are responsible for producing insulin and glucagon, two extremely important hormones that make it possible to regulate the level of sugar in the blood. When we drink a sugary beverage, for example, the pancreas secretes a large quantity of insulin, which in turn reduces the quantity of sugar in the blood. Conversely, if the body does not receive sufficient nutrition over a prolonged period, the glucagon makes it possible to maintain a sufficient level of sugar in the blood to supply the various organs.

Yellowish in colour and measuring approximately 15cm in length and 5cm in width, this tadpole-shaped digestive organ is composed of three main parts: the head, the body and the tail.