The pancreas
Pancreas · pancreas
A gland behind the stomach that makes digestive enzymes and the hormones insulin and glucagon.
What it does
The pancreas lies deep in the upper abdomen behind the stomach, its head nestled in the curve of the duodenum. Most of it makes enzymes that pour into the gut to digest food. Scattered clusters of cells, the islets, release insulin and glucagon to keep your blood sugar steady.
Surprising fact
Insulin was first extracted from the pancreas in 1921 in Toronto, and within a year it was saving the lives of children with type 1 diabetes.
Why it matters
In type 1 diabetes the immune system destroys the insulin-making cells, so insulin has to be replaced. The pancreas sits so deep that its problems are often found late.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.