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Name and Functions The part I researched, which has only one name, is the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ that produces digestive juices necessary to break down food. It also produces insulin and glucagons. Insulin and glucagons are two hormones needed to break down sugar and to regulate our metabolism. The pancreas provides a lot of power to the body. For example, it allows you to eat many foods and allows your body to feed your cells the energy they need.
It also allows you to exercise without decreasing your blood sugar. As you can see the pancreas has a lot of jobs, without the pancreas it would be difficult to live Organization in the Body If you didnt have a pancreas you would have to give yourself hypodermic shots everyday for the rest of your life. The pancreas is part of the digestive system. Organs located near the pancreas are the stomach, the small intestine, the liver, and the gallbladder. The stomachs function is to digest and store food and the small intestine and it is used for digestion and the absorption of nutrients. To absorb nutrients, take out poisons, and produce bile you need the liver, and to store that bile you need the gallbladder.
The pancreas is located deep in the abdomen between the spine and stomach. It is partially behind your stomach but the other part nestles in the curve of the duodenum. The digestive juices in the pancreas flow through a duct to the duodenum into the small intestine. The digestive juices contain water and salts which help the digestive process and to neutralize stomach acids. Enzymes are also contained within the digestive juices; they help to break down fat, starches and proteins. Scattered throughout the pancreas lie small groups special of cells, which are called the islets of Langerhans.
These cells send the hormones directly into the bloodstream. There are several types of isles cells, for example alpha cells, and beta cells. Insulin is produced by beta cells. Throughout the bloodstream insulin travels to cells. It gives the ability to take glucose from the body. Glucose is a simple sugar, which is the main source of energy for cells.
If the body makes too little sugar a disease called diabetes is formed. The alpha cells contain secrete glucagon. Glucagon makes the liver release glucose. Glucose and insulin act as a team to maintain glucose at a safe level. In conclusion Cells main energy is glucose. When exercising cells use up glucose, when glucose is low the liver forms more, insulin helps cells consume it to use as energy.
To survive without the pancreas you would have to give yourself hypodermic shots daily. Medical Conditions Diabetes is a disease that is triggered by the pancreas. There are three types of diabetes, Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type one is usually diagnosed in children, this happens when the pancreas cannot produce insulin. 10 % of Organisms with diabetes have Type 1.
Type 2 is when your body doesnt produce enough insulin, or when the body does not use the insulin properly. Type 2 usually develops on adults. 90 % of diabetics have type 2. Gestational is a temporary type of diabetes, which is during pregnancy. IT affects 2 - 4 % of all pregnancies; there is a high chance for the mother or child to get diabetes. There is no cure for diabetes but there are ways to control it. You can take shots of insulin before each meal or before doing exercise.
Another form of this is a pump. A small tube is inserted into your body. When you need insulin you tell the pump to activate and the insulin is put into your bloodstream. If your diabetes is mild you can control it with a strict diet and oral medication.
Another medical condition of the pancreas is pancreatic cancer. Did you know that pancreatic is the fifth leading cancer death in the world? It is estimated that 28, 000 Americans will die this year because of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is called The challenge of the 21 st century since pancreatic cancer is very common but very hard to treat. First of all it is hard to know when you have pancreatic cancer because it is so deep in the abdomen. Until the tumor gets large and starts interfering with other organs around it, for example the gallbladder, the kidney, the liver, or stomach it goes undiagnosed.
Scientists are now researching a way to cure both of these problems. They are researching a pancreas transplant. Although it is still in its beginning stages of research, many scientists think that this will be a way to eliminate Diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Three organisms with these Parts Organisms that have a pancreas are organisms with backbones. For example cats and dogs are animals with both a pancreas and a backbone.
Another animal with a pancreas is an elephant. The pancreas in all of these organisms work the same way as in a human. Animals with the pancreas can have the same diseases as humans do, for example there are animals that have diabetes and need insulin shots. Consequently humans are not the only organisms with a pancreas Physical Characteristics The pancreas is oblong and flat, similar to a flattened fish, or a dogs tongue.
It is six to eight inches long, one and a half inches wide and one inch thick. Its color is a mixture of gray pink and yellow. It weighs about three ounces. In my research I couldnt find the texture, but from a picture it appears to be bumpy.
These are the pancreas basic characteristics. Three Interesting Facts The pancreas is an interesting part that is very helpful to your body but can have many faults. In my opinion there are many interesting facts but only three are breathtaking. &# 9679; To me these are the most interesting facts: &# 9679; Diabetes is a disease that would not happen if there were no pancreases. &# 9679; For an organ only 6 inches long it has such a big job. &# 9679; The pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death! I had never even heard of that before this project.
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