Pancreas

How it is used

A classic example of an organ that is both exocrine and endocrine. Lectures refer to the head, body and tail of the pancreas and to the islets of Langerhans. The adjective is pancreatic, as in pancreatic juice and pancreatic duct.

Example sentences

1. Beta cells in the pancreas release insulin when blood glucose rises.

2. The head of the pancreas sits in the curve of the duodenum.

Common collocations

• head of the pancreas
• pancreatic juice
• pancreatic duct
• islets of Langerhans

Related terms

• glandAn organ or group of cells that makes and releases a substance. Endocrine glands release hormones into the blood; exocrine glands release secretions such as sweat or saliva through ducts.
• hormoneA chemical messenger made by a gland and carried in the blood to target organs, where it changes how they work. Insulin, cortisol and thyroxine are examples.
• small intestineThe long, coiled tube between the stomach and the large intestine, made up of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. Most digestion and absorption of nutrients happens here.
• enzymeA protein that speeds up a specific chemical reaction in the body without being used up. Digestive enzymes, for example, break food down into molecules small enough to be absorbed.
• digestionThe process of breaking food down into small molecules that the body can absorb. It is partly mechanical (chewing, churning) and partly chemical, using enzymes.

More terms: Digestive and Urinary Systems

• stomach
• liver
• kidney
• large intestine
• esophagus
• bladder