Hormones of the Pancreas

Anatomically, the pancreas is a gland situated in the digestive and endocrine system in vertebrates. Since, glands are the organs in the body which are responsible for producing the necessary hormones, the pancreas do a great job. There are many hormones which are produced by the pancreas in the form of an endocrine gland like the glucagon, insulin, somatostatin. It also acts as an exocrine gland to perform other functions like secreting pancreatic juice with digestive enzymes to ensure proper digestion through the small intestine. The insulin is the maximum amount of hormone produced with 70% of the pancreatic cells (beta cells), secreting it. The other 22 % alpha cells secrete glucagon and the remaining gamma cells secrete somatostatin (growth hormone inhibiting hormone). All these alpha, beta and gamma cells make up the islets of Langerhans, which are scattered throughout the pancreas. These hormones of the pancreas are crucial in the development of our body. Hence, take a look at their role and the pancreas hormone imbalance, mentioned in the coming up paragraphs.

Pancreas Function

• The pancreas gland is present close to the stomach and has two main functions. Along with the production of the hormones of the pancreas, it has other roles to play in the body metabolism as well.
• The two main functions of this gland are to regulate the blood glucose levels in the bloodstream with the hormones insulin and glucagon, and help in food digestion by secreting digestive enzymes.
• The first function of regulating the BSL in the body is carried out with the help of the alpha and beta cells, which secrete the glucagon and insulin respectively. When the BSL rises, the insulin does the job of converting the extra blood glucose into glycogen, which is used as an energy reservoir.
• Similarly, the other functions of pancreas is, when the BSL lowers below normal, the alpha cells which form glucagon, re-convert the glycogen into glucose from the reserve in the liver and this is released in the bloodstream. Therefore, diabetes and other health problems are regulated in this manner.
• The digestive function is simple to understand, as the pancreas produce a digestive enzyme called the pancreatic juice. This helps the food to pass from the small intestine to the large, making digestion smooth and converts the food into useful material.

Pancreas Disorders

• Hormones are a very important part of our body and all the major functions of it, depend on the production of these hormones. When there is an imbalance in the production of these hormones due to some abnormalities within the gland, there are disorders in the entire body.
• A few such pancreas problems observed due to such hormonal imbalance are, Pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis and diabetes.
• Pancreatitis is a disease in which there is inflammation of the pancreas. This usually happens when there is malfunctioning of the digestive enzymes and they start digesting the pancreas itself.
• Pancreatic cancer is another dreaded disease, wherein the malignant cells grow out of control and lead to death eventually, if not diagnosed in time. Usually, diabetic patients suffer from pancreatic cancer very often.
• Cystic fibrosis is also a genetic disease, in which the thick and sticky mucous usually blocks the tubes in the pancreas, causing them to fail from functioning properly.
• Diabetes is also another disorder caused due to hormones of the pancreas failure, which is a deadly condition and an invitation for many other diseases.

With this valuable information about these hormones of the pancreas, understanding this gland is very easy. Every human being requires a pancreatic gland for normal functioning and hence, if you are having problems with it, make sure you get yourself checked.