The function of the human pancreas

The function of the human pancreas

Although the pancreas in our body is a small organ, it plays an important role in human digestion and can maintain blood sugar at normal levels, so the role of the human pancreas is still very important. Generally speaking, the pancreas has two major functions. On the one hand, it helps the human body digest substances such as fat and protein; on the other hand, it produces trypsin to better break down food.

The pancreas is an important organ in the human body that helps the body digest food and maintain normal blood sugar levels. A good understanding of how the pancreas works can help you detect and resolve problems in a timely manner. The pancreas is located in the upper abdomen, lying transversely to the abdominal wall behind the stomach. The pancreas is the digestive system that interacts with the liver, gallbladder, intestines (large and small), and gallbladder. The pancreas consists of the pancreatic duct, exocrine glands and endocrine glands. The pancreas is divided into three parts: the head, body, and tail.

The gland has two functions:

1. Digestion (exocrine) The pancreas helps the body digest carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and acids. The pancreatic acinar secretes pancreatic juice, which contains oxalic acid and digestive enzymes, which are mainly used to neutralize stomach acid and digest sugar, protein and fat.

2. The endocrine structures of the pancreas are called islets. The pancreatic islets contain a variety of secretory cells: B cells are the most numerous and secrete insulin; B cells secrete glucagon.

How does the pancreas work?

When food enters the stomach, the pancreas receives electrical signals from the body's nervous system to produce trypsin to help break down the food. These enzymes then pass through the pancreatic duct into the duodenum (the intestine of the digestive system immediately adjacent to the stomach).

The pancreas also regulates glucose (blood sugar) levels in the blood. Glucose is an important source of energy for the human body. When blood sugar is too low, the pancreas secretes glucagon to increase the amount of glucose in the blood.

When the body's blood sugar levels are too high, the pancreas secretes insulin to lower the amount of glucose in the blood.

The pancreas is an important functional organ in the human body. Once problems occur, the body can have serious diseases such as diabetes, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and pancreatic cystic fibrosis. The clinical manifestations of pancreatic diseases vary, including abdominal pain and nausea, loss of appetite, low back pain and indigestion, bloating, etc. In this case, it is best to seek timely treatment near the knife to avoid worsening of the disease.

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