The pancreas is an abdominal organ that is located behind the stomach and is surrounded by other organs, including the spleen, liver and small intestine. The pancreas is about 15.24 centimeters long, oblong and flat. The pancreas plays an important role in digestion and in regulating blood sugar. Three diseases associated with the pancreas are pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and diabetes.
Function of the pancreas
The pancreas serves two primary functions, according to Jordan Knowlton, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. It makes "enzymes to digest proteins, fats, and carbs in the intestines" and produces the hormones insulin and glucagon, he said. Dr. Richard Bowen of Colorado State University's Department of Biomedical Sciences wrote in Hypertexts for Pathophysiology: Endocrine System, "A well-known effect of insulin is to decrease the concentration of glucose in blood." This lowers blood sugar levels and allows the body's cells to use glucose for energy.
The pancreas is an abdominal organ that is located behind the stomach and is surrounded by other organs, including the spleen, liver and small intestine. The pancreas is about 15.24 centimeters long, oblong and flat. The pancreas plays an important role in digestion and in regulating blood sugar. Three diseases associated with the pancreas are pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and diabetes.
Function of the pancreas
The pancreas serves two primary functions, according to Jordan Knowlton, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. It makes "enzymes to digest proteins, fats, and carbs in the intestines" and produces the hormones insulin and glucagon, he said. Dr. Richard Bowen of Colorado State University's Department of Biomedical Sciences wrote in Hypertexts for Pathophysiology: Endocrine System, "A well-known effect of insulin is to decrease the concentration of glucose in blood." This lowers blood sugar levels and allows the body's cells to use glucose for energy.