What does the pancreas do?
The pancreas has two main jobs: it makes enzymes that digest food, and it produces hormones such as insulin and glucagon that control blood sugar.
The pancreas is a long, flat organ about 15 centimeters long, tucked behind the stomach. Most of it produces digestive juices that flow into the small intestine, where enzymes break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Scattered through the pancreas are small groups of cells called the islets of Langerhans. They release insulin, which lowers blood sugar by helping cells absorb glucose, and glucagon, which raises blood sugar when it drops too low.
The pancreas and diabetes
In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the insulin-making cells, so people need insulin treatment. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not respond to insulin properly. Insulin was first used to treat diabetes in 1922, after research by Frederick Banting and Charles Best in Toronto.
Did You Know?
Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, can be caused by gallstones or heavy alcohol use and can cause severe pain in the upper abdomen.
This answer is general information, not medical advice. For a personal health question, talk to a doctor.