This word derives from the Greek " πάγκρεας ", it is the gland of mixed secretion, internal, external and is located in the abdomen between the stomach and the duodenum; composed of three parts, head, body and tail. It measures approximately 8 inches long.
The function of endocrine secretion is carried out by the islets of Langerhans, which in turn produce insulin and glucagon, which are the hormones that regulate glucose metabolism. These two functions, the exocrine or digestive, are located in the cells of the pancreatic acini that produce the pancreatic juice, which flows into the duodenum through the Wirsung duct.
The pancreas has an exocrine part, which contains glands called serous acini with round or oval shapes with epithelial cells. An endocrine part, here they are grouped in the islets of Langerhans which in turn is a micro organ composed of subunits such as: Alpha Cell or alpha cell, which synthesize and release glucagon and represent 20% of the volume of the islet and is distributed in a peripheral. Beta Cell or beta cell, it releases and produces insulin, thus regulating the level of glucose in the blood, facilitating the use of glucose in the blood by cells and removing excess of it, it is stored in the liver as glycogen. Delta Cell or delta cell, produce somatostatin, a hormone that is believed to regulate the production and release of insulin and glucagon. PP cell or pp cell, is responsible for producing and releasing pancreatic polypeptide.
