Video Transcript
True or False: In addition to
secreting digestive enzymes, the pancreas produces hormones such as insulin and
glucagon. (A) True, (B) false.
This question asks us about the
pancreas, which is a very important accessory gland of the digestive system. The pancreas is an elongated organ,
around 15 centimeters long, and is located just behind the stomach in the
abdomen. The pancreas is sometimes referred
to as a mixed gland because it has both exocrine and endocrine functions.
As an exocrine gland, the pancreas
secretes enzymes, such as amylases, proteases, and lipases, all of which act in the
small intestines. The digestive enzymes secreted by
the exocrine cells of the pancreas enter the duodenum of the small intestines, where
the enzymes help in the chemical digestion of food, such as starch, lipids, and
proteins.
As an exocrine gland, the pancreas
secretes hormones directly into the blood. The endocrine tissues of the
pancreas that secrete hormones are called the islets of Langerhans and have two
different types of cells: 𝛼 cells and 𝛽 cells. These cells release two hormones
that work in contrasting ways to control blood glucose levels. The first hormone is glucagon. 𝛼 cells produce glucagon, which
stimulates the breakdown of glycogen stored in the liver into glucose and stimulates
the conversion of amino acids and fats into glucose. This increases the blood glucose
concentration levels when they are too low.
The second hormone is insulin. 𝛽 cells secrete insulin, which
stimulates glycolysis. This causes the uptake of glucose
into the skeletal muscle cells and the liver cells to store glucose in the form of
glycogen. This helps maintain a normal blood
glucose level.
So, the pancreas has both exocrine
and endocrine functions. The exocrine functions aid in
digestion, while the endocrine functions include the hormone actions of glucagon and
insulin which helps regulate blood glucose.
Now that we have reviewed the
functions of the pancreas and how it’s considered both an exocrine and an endocrine
gland, we should be able to answer our question correctly. The statement “In addition to
secreting digestive enzymes, the pancreas produces hormones such as insulin and
glucagon” is true.
