The Anatomy Of The Pancreas

The pancreas is an elongated and flattened gland located within the abdomen. Not only is it a vital part of the digestive system, but it is also a key controller of blood sugar levels. (The Pancreas). The pancreas has been divided into four regions which are the head, neck, body, and tail. Being the widest part of the pancreas, the head is twenty-three millimeters. The part of the head that hooks towards the back of the abdomen is the uncinate (Chronic Pancreatitis Imaging). Between the head and body of the pancreas is the neck, which is about nineteen millimeters. The body of the pancreas is twenty millimeters, between the neck and the tail. The tail is the smallest part of the pancreas, measuring at only fifteen millimeters. (Parts of the Pancreas). The length of the pancreas in total ranges from four point seven to seven point one inches. The pancreas also weighs from seventy to one-hundred grams (How does the Pancreas Work?). The pancreas is composed of exocrine and endocrine tissues. The exocrine portion of the pancreas synthesizes and secretes pancreatic juices. The endocrine portion is composed of miniscule islands of cells, called the islets of Langerhans. These islets of Langerhans do not release their secretions into the pancreatic ducts. Instead, they release hormones into the blood stream, and these hormones in turn help control blood glucose levels (Function of the Pancreas). Beta cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete insulin, which

Every year, one point five million Americans are diagnosed. Diabetes remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2015. 79,535 death certificates listed it as the underlying cause of death, and a total of 252,806 death certificates listed diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death in 2015. The total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2012 was two-hundred and forty-five billion (Statistics About