Introduction
The pancreas is a gland and can be divided into two parts with regard to its microscopic structure and its function. The exogenous part is responsible for the production of digestive enzymes, while the endogenous part is essential for the production of various hormones.
Structure of the pancreas
The pancreas weighs about 50-120 grams, is 1-2 centimeters thick and 14-18 centimeters long. If you look at the pancreas from the outside, you can roughly divide it into three parts: The digestive juice is produced by small (exocrine) glandular lobules which release the secretion into fine ducts which join together at the centre of the pancreas to form a large excretory duct. This duct opens into the duodenum. Distributed over the entire pancreatic gland tissue, there are about 1.5 million small islet cell groups that produce insulin and other hormones (endocrine part). – Pancreas head
- Pancreas body ̈rper
- Pancreas tail
Pancreas position
The pancreas is located in the posterior upper abdomen and forms the posterior border of the bursa omentalis. This is a small space in the upper abdomen that is bordered by the stomach, small peritoneum, liver, pancreas and spleen. The pancreas lies approximately transversely in the abdomen and thus “crosses” to the other side in front of the spinal column.
This is particularly important because this position means that the pancreas can be injured more often if you fall on the handlebars of a bicycle, for example. The pancreas produces two major types of enzymes and hormones. These two types are produced by different parts of the pancreas.
Once from the exocrine part, these products are passed on to the small intestine and once from the endocrine part, these products are released directly into the blood. The excretory duct of the pancreas, which enables the transport of the digestive enzymes of the exocrine part, ends in the duodenum, as in the upper part of the small intestine. There it usually ends together with the excretory duct of the gall bladder.
The exogenous part of the pancreas (pancreas) is used to produce digestive enzymes. Every day, 1. 5 to 2 litres of secretion – consisting of digestive enzymes, water and ions – are produced here.
This reaches the main duct (Ductus pancreaticus – pancreatic duct) via small excretory ducts, which opens into a part of the small intestine, the duodenum. The enzymes produced by the pancreas serve to break down the three main components of food: many of these enzymes are still present in the pancreas in their inactive form. They only become active after reaching the small intestine.
This serves to protect the pancreas from self-digestion. – Lipase is used for fat splitting
- Alpha-amylase (also present in saliva) is used to split carbohydrates
- Trypsinogen chymotrypsinogen elastase is used to break down proteins
- Trypsinogen
- Chymotrypsinogen
- Elastase
- Trypsinogen
- Chymotrypsinogen
- Elastase
The endogenous portion makes up the minority, which is the proportion of pancreatic tissue. It consists of the so-called islets of Langerhans, which consist primarily of A cells, B cells and D cells. Here the hormones of the pancreas are produced, which are then released directly into the blood. – The A-cells, which make up about 20% of the islets of Langerhans, produce glucagon
- The B cells, which make up about 75%, produce insulin
- The remaining 5% are formed by the D-cells, which produce the hormone somatostatin
- A very small proportion is made up of PP cells, which synthesise the pancreatic polypeptide
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