Video Transcript
Which letter on the given diagram
of the human body indicates the pancreas?
The diagram provided by the
question illustrates and labels some of the key organs in the human endocrine
system. You may recall that the endocrine
glands, which make up this system, are groups of specialized cells that function to
release chemical messengers called hormones directly into the blood to cause various
effects on specific target cells within the body. The type of hormones that are
released, the target cells that they act upon, and the specific effect that they
produce depends on what triggered the gland to release them and the gland
itself.
To answer this question, let’s look
at the location of each of the endocrine glands that have been labeled with the
letters X, Y, and Z.
The organ marked with the letter X
is located between the lungs, which suggests that it sits behind the sternum or
breastbone. This is the location of the thymus
gland, an organ that is responsible for secreting hormones, such as thymosin, which
is helpful in the immune system.
The organ marked with the letter Y
is an elongated gland located in the abdomen near the stomach and the upper part of
the small intestine, which is known as the duodenum. This is the location of the
pancreas, a gland often referred to as a mixed gland as it has both endocrine and
exocrine functions. Its endocrine functions involve
secreting hormones like insulin and glucagon to control blood glucose levels within
a healthy range. Its exocrine functions involve
secreting digestive enzymes into the duodenum to help with the digestion of
food.
The organ marked with the letter Z
sits directly on top of one of the kidneys. There are two of these glands in
total, with the other sitting above the second kidney. These are the locations of the
adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are responsible
for releasing various hormones, such as adrenaline, which helps us respond to
intensely stressful situations.
Now that we have looked at the
position of all three glands, let’s look at the question again. We are looking for the letter that
indicates the pancreas. Therefore, the correct answer is
Y.
