ABSTRACT
The pancreas is a large gland located just below the stomach. It contains two types of cell, the Islets of Langerhans and the acini. As well as its hormonal action, it releases a large number of digestive secretions into the small intestine. A major hormone secreted by the pancreas is insulin. Insulin is involved in glucose metabolism and helps glucose to enter cells. Glucose cannot diffuse through cells by itself and is helped across the membrane by carrier molecules. Insulin increases the ability of the carrier molecules to move glucose into the cell. The other major hormone secreted by the pancreas is glucagon. This causes glycogenolysis, the breakdown of glycogen into glucose in the liver, allowing glucose to enter the bloodstream. The best-known disease associated with the functioning of the pancreas is diabetes. This occurs when the pancreas fails to secrete insulin. This causes the level of blood glucose to rise as the glucose cannot easily be transported into cells.
