what is pancreas???
Answers
Answer:
A large gland behind the stomach which secretes digestive enzymes into the duodenum. Embedded in the pancreas are the islets of Langerhans, which secrete into the blood the hormones insulin and glucagon.
Answer:
=> Pancreas is both a duct gland as well as a ductless gland.
=> As a duct gland, its secretion (pancreatic juice) is poured into the duodenum for digestion.
=> As a ductless gland , it has special groups of hormones-secreting cells called Islets of Langerhans, which are scattered in the entire gland.
=> The islet cells produce three hormones -- insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin from three different kinds of cells called Beta , Alpha and Delta cells respectively.
- Insulin secreted by beta cells check rise of sugar level in blood. This is done in two ways :
=> It promotes glucose utilization by the body cells.
=> It stimulates deposition of extra glucose of the blood as glycogen in liver and muscles.
Abnormalities in insulin - shortage and excess.
Insufficient secretion of insulin causes diabetes. The word mellitus means honey as in diabetes mellitus referring to the passage of sugar in urine.
A diabetic person:
- has high concentration of sugar in blood.
- excretes a great deal of urine loaded with sugar.
- feels thirsty because of loss of water through too much urination.
- loses weight and becomes weaker and weaker. In certain cases, the person loses eye sight or vision.
The usual treatment by administering Insulin is not a cure, but only a method of supplying the hormone which is not being produced by the pancreas.