More information about the pancreas

The pancreas has two functions, called endocrine and exocrine. An endocrine function is one where hormones are secreted into the bloodstream. In the pancreas there are a number of cells in groups called the islets of Langerhans. These cells produce insulin, which is necessary to help us absorb glucose into cells, glucagon which helps us to mobilise glucose from stores when our blood sugar is low, and somatostatin, which is a hormone that acts to reduce, among other things, the secretions of the gut.

An exocrine function is one whereby the gland produces its secretions via a duct (like sweat glands, for example). In the pancreas there are groups of cells called acini, which make enzymes such as amylase, which dissolves carbohydrates, lipase, responsible for breaking down fats, and protease which digests proteins. These are produced in response to the presence of food in the stomach and duodenum, and pass down the pancreatic duct to join the duct bringing bile from the liver. Together they enter the duodenum through a small projection called the Ampulla of Vater, which has a sphincter - the sphincter of Oddi - which prevents food passing from the duodenum into the gland.

The pancreas, therefore, is intimately involved in the way in which we absorb and metabolise food, firstly by producing the enzymes that allow us to digest it, and simultaneously producing and releasing hormones to allow us to utilise what we’ve absorbed. Disorders affecting the pancreas, in consequence, can have a direct effect on these functions.