he pancreas is one of those organs you don’t think about much until something goes haywire. This organ is located in a position tucked in an area where the stomach empties into the small intestine. It is an “L” shaped organ, oriented with one leg alongside the stomach and one side along the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). This location also results in the pancreas being located very near the liver. The pancreas has a duct that exits the organ near the bend in the “L,” from which it transfers the digestive enzymes that it produces.

The pancreas has two main functions: The first is easily forgotten – and sometimes unknown – but the pancreas is the producer for insulin and glucagon. These two hormones are fundamental in the regulation of glucose (simple sugar). Unlike the digestive enzymes, insulin and glucagon move from the pancreas to the rest of the body via the blood stream.

The other important function of the pancreas is to produce digestive enzymes. These enzymes include trypsinogen (protein digestion), lipase (fat digestion), and amylase (carbohydrate digestion), to name a few. These enzymes are not secreted into the bloodstream but rather move from the pancreas into the duodenum via the pancreatic duct, which is located very close to the bile duct.

The most common problem encountered by the pancreas is called pancreatitis. Simply put: inflammation of the pancreas. Anything that causes the pancreas to become inflamed, such as trauma, infection, etc., falls into this category. The pancreas can also fall victim to the ubiquitous plague of certain types of cancers. When this happens, there is frequently a secondary pancreatitis.

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