one little organ that has a big job
Description: Click here to see the pancreas and its neighbors
Image copyright: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4743
I am the pancreas. I am a long, flat gland in your belly that is shaped like a triangle. My neighbors are the liver, gallbladder, small intestines, and stomach. I am located in the digestive system. I am both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones called insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin. All of these are involved in keeping blood sugars even. I am also an exocrine gland, releasing pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that pass to the small intestine. These enzymes help to break down the carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids in the chyme (digested food from the stomach).
Health problem #1
Diabetes
Diabetes is caused by a problem in your body that makes or uses insulin. Insulin is needed to move blood sugar into cells where it is stored and later used for energy. When you have type 2 diabetes your body does not respond correctly to insulin. As a result blood sugar does not get into cells to be stored for energy. When sugar does not enter cells high levels of sugar build up in the blood. High levels of blood sugar trigger the pancreas to produce more and more insulin but it is never enough to keep up with the body's demand.
Health Problem #2
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas. Pancreatic cancer usually spreads quickly and is hardly seen in its early stages. Which is why it's a leading cause of cancer death. It was estimated that in 2010 more than 43,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
