What is Pancrease? Functions

The pancreas is an organ located in the abdomen. It plays an essential role in converting the food we eat into fuel for the body’s cells. The pancreas has two main functions: an exocrine function that helps in digestion and an endocrine  function that regulates blood sugar. The endocrine pancreas consist of islet of langerhans . there are 1 to 2 million islet of langerhans are called alpha and beta cells. The alpha cells secret hormone glucagon and beta cells secrets insulin.

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Pan­creas

GLUCAGON:

  • Glucagon is a pep­tide hor­mone and plays an impor­tant role in main­tain­ing the nor­mal blood glu­cose levels.
  • Glucagon acts main­ly on the liv­er cells and stim­u­lates gly­co­ne­ol­y­sis result­ing in an increased blood sug­ar (hyper­glycemia).
  • This hor­mone stim­u­late the process of Glu­co­neo­ge­n­e­sis which also con­tribute to hyperglycemia.
  • Glucagon is a hyper­glycemia hormone.

INSULIN:

  • Insulin is a pep­tide hor­mone, which plays a major role in the reg­u­la­tion of glu­cose homeostasis.
  • Insulin. Main­ly acts on hepa­to­cytes and adipocytes and enhances cel­lu­lar glu­cose uptake and utilisation.
  • As a result ‚there is a rapid move­ment of glu­cose from blood to hepa­to­cytes and adipocytes result­ing in decreased blood glu­cose lev­el (hypo­glycemia).
  • Insulin also stim­u­lates con­ver­sion of glu­cose to glyco­gen (gluco­ge­n­e­sis).

The glu­cose home­osta­sis in blood is thus main­tained by the two — Insulin and Glucagons.

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