Location Of The Pancreas In The Body: Curious Body Facts For Kids

The word Pancreas comes from the Greek word ‘pan’ meaning all and ‘kreas’ as in flesh.

The person to have unearthed the function of the pancreas as digestion was Claude Bernard. The 17th century was essentially important in this regard, this is when the significance of the organ was demonstrated.

Why the name ‘Pancreas’? What is the location of pancreas in the body? Is it found on the left side or the right side? Read on for the answers.

Almost six in (15.24 cm) long, the pancreas is a gland located in our upper abdomen. Other organs such as the stomach, duodenum, liver, or gold bladder This long flattened gland plays two primary functions- first, it has a  primary and crucial role in our digestion, and second, they prove useful in regulating our blood sugar levels.

The pancreas is formed of mainly four parts - its head, neck, body, and tail and there is also an uncinate process.

About 95% of the pancreas consists of exocrine tissue which generates pancreatic enzymes for digestion. What about the remaining tissue?

It consists of endocrine cells termed islets of Langerhans. In appearance, these cells look like grapes, generate hormones to manage blood sugar, and regulate pancreatic secretion.

Read along to find out about islet cell tumors, cancer cells, abdominal pain, small intestine, and many such aspects of human anatomy. After reading facts about pancreatic cancer, pancreatic juices and the main pancreatic duct, also check facts about the brain stem and creepy but true facts.

Pancreas Location In The Body

The pancreas is located deep inside our bodies but we do know its location. So, let us see where they live and perform their required functions.

The pancreas is positioned behind the stomach, on the upper left side. The other organs that surround it include the liver, the small intestine, gallbladder, and spleen. Shaped like a flat pear, the sections of the pancreas are divided into four regions- head, neck, body, and tail.

On the center of the pancreas is situated the neck and its body. Whereas the tail, the last end of the pancreas, is more like a thin tip and sits at the left end of the body.

The fragment of the pancreas called the uncinate process holds firm its position backward with its head lying beneath the pancreas, around two significant blood vessels - the superior mesenteric artery and the superior mesenteric vein.

Pancreas Functions In The Body

The pancreas is formed of two brands into one organ, performing two different functions. By producing the right chemicals in a valid quantity, the pancreas helps us digest and stay healthy.

Exocrine Function (Digestion):

A large proportion of the pancreas is constituted of exocrine cells that formulate enzymes, essential for the digestion of food.

Upon entering the stomach, the pancreatic enzymes are released by the stomach into structures of compact ducts that make their way towards the primary pancreatic duct. The pancreas make and pancreas secrete insulin that helps control blood sugar levels.

The pancreatic duct connects the common bile duct that carries bile to put in place the ampulla of Vater which is situated at the initial portion of the small intestine called the duodenum.

The origination of the common bile duct takes place in the life and the gallbladder and also assembles another significant digestive juice known as bile. All in all, the pancreatic and bile juices that enter the duodenum, are responsible for the body’s ability to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Endocrine Function (Blood Sugar):

Composed of islet cells or islets of Langerhans, the endocrine cells produce hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones regulate specific functions of our body.

The endocrine cells release two main pancreatic hormones- insulin and glucagon, which are responsible for balancing sugar levels in the blood, which is important for the functioning of other pivotal for other body parts such as the brain, kidneys, and liver.

Causes Of Pancreas Pain

Due to the depth of their location, it becomes difficult for even professionals to learn what coils have caused the disorder or pancreatic cancer. But we certainly do know why they, at large, might be caused. 

There is a range of issues arising out of the pancreas like pancreatitis, precancerous problems such as PanIN and IPMN, also pancreatic cancer. All these may have the same origin of the condition but they exert different symptoms and consequently require distinctive treatment.

Pancreatitis: in this situation, pancreatic enzymes are created and elevated plus they start digesting the organ itself. The cause may be alcoholism, hereditary causes, gallstones, problems in the structure of the pancreatic and bile ducts, side effects of medicines like estrogen supplements or even viral infection may be a cause.

Pancreatic Cancer: there is an endocrine tumor, which is more common, as well as an exocrine tumor, less frequent. The fundamental reason for its occurrence is damage to DNA.

Other risk factors include smoking, old age, more common in people from the black race than the white race, frequent in men than women, obesity, genetics. while some of the causes are not in our Hands, some are like smoking.

The change in our DNA can occur due to our behavior off smoking because cigarettes contain chemicals called carcinogens that contain the potential to damage the gene in a cell, associated closely with cancer.

Also, to add to that, consuming a diet that is high in cholesterol, meat, fried food or nitrosamines will increase your risk of having cancer so it is advised to substitute it with one containing fruits and vegetables.

But what about the factors you cannot control? There are treatments available that come to your rescue in this case. Diabetes can be treated by replacing insulin, pancreatic cancer with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Pancreatitis by making changes in your diet, some medications, and in some cases surgery can be required.

Can you live without a pancreas?

After reading the functions of the pancreas, it becomes evident that it is significant for our digestion and regulation of sugar levels.

Some surgeries can remove the pancreas but are highly scarce. The only time you may need this surgery is if you have pancreatic cancer or some sort of damage has been caused to it by an injury and also if you have grave and severe pancreatitis.

Also, with the help of new medicines, the life expectancy has been said to be elevated after the surgery but varies as per the disease you have. To be more precise, some studies have shown that the seven-year survival rate for those with noncancerous conditions after surgery was 76% and for those with pancreatic cancer, it was 31%.

Even after their removal and surgery, you will be required to take insulin at regular intervals and your body will no longer make digestive enzymes essential for digesting food.

Thus, following a diabetic diet becomes imperative for staying healthy. Incorporating some exercises into your daily routine will be beneficial too. Further, eating small meals every day to keep your sugar level in check is good, and carrying around with you some sort of glucose to intake if sugar level decreases are suggested.

There are some useless parts of the body as well. There is the Coccyx which is called the tail of the human and can be eradicated.

There are important blood vessels in the body that carry out all the important elements from one place to the other. There are various types of body cells, like the alpha cells and beta cells which are normal cells that travel through the blood providing energy, digesting proteins, and carrying basic activities.

The immune system helps to maintain good health, or else we carry an unhealthy weight loss if they attack cells to make them abnormal cells. The endocrine function of the kidney is to secrete various hormones.

A large bowel can have many digestive problems if the liver or the small intestine don't function properly by secreting the contents in the blood flow, or if the stomach acid levels have increased or decreased.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for location of Pancreas in body?

curious body facts for kids then why not take a look at the electric telegraph inventor: cool facts on Samuel Morse for kids, or eastern woodlands facts: know more about Native American tribes.