Endocrine System- Pancreas Taylor Giampietro Jorge Rivas Morgan Kanemoto Tristan Soares

Location The pancreas is located posterior to the stomach and behind the parietal peritoneum.

Basic Anatomy of Organ Elongated, somewhat flattened organ The endocrine portion consists of groups of cells that are closely associated with blood vessels These groups of cells form pancreatic islets The islets include two types of cells alpha beta

Basic Anatomy of Organ (cont.) Alpha secretes glucagon Beta secretes insulin The pancreas has a head, neck, and tail The head lies near the duodenum, and the tail extends near the hilum of the spleen It is made up of exocrine glands, which helps with food digestion

General Function of Organ The Pancreas has 2 glands that are mixed together into one hormone. Most of the organ is made up of exocrine glands, this helps with the digestion of food. The exocrine cells release the enzymes into bigger and bigger tubes that form the main pancreatic duct. The pancreatic duct runs along the pancreas and drains fluid from the exocrine cells into duodenum. (beginning of small bowel.)

General functions of Organ (cont.) The second function is the endocrine pancreas is small islands of cells called Islets of Langerhans. These cells don’t release the secretions into the pancreatic duct but release it into the bloodstream, these excretions are insulin,and glucagon. These hormones control blood sugar.

Secretions and their Functions The Pancreas secretes insulin and glucagon. Glucagon stimulates liver to break down glycogen and converts certain non- carbohydrates into glucose Insulin stimulates the liver to produce glycogen and inhibit conversion of non-carbohydrates into glucose Insulin secretion promotes amino acids transporting into cells Insulin allows facilitated diffusion between all cell membranes

Disease or Abnormalities associated with hormones Over-secretion of glucagon and reduced secretion of insulin can lead to type 2 diabetes Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects many body systems, but mostly the pancreas. This can also lead to diabetes and digestive problems

Works Cited Medicine, John Hopkins. Pancreas function. 2015. 22 February 2016 <http://pathology.jhu.edu/pancreas/basicoverview3.php?area=ba>. Shier, David, Jackie Butler, and Ricki Lewis. Holes essentials of Human Anatomy & Phisiology. Boston, Mass: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009, print.