“The Pancreas song” by Weird Al is a music video about young boy who does not appreciate his spleen or bladder but appreciates his pancreas. Weird Al sings about the function of the pancreas and some of its many jobs and functions in the human body. For example, how the pancreas secretes hormones, metabolizes carbohydrates and secretes inulin and glucose from the islets of Langerhans. The pancreas is an organ that secretes hormones into the blood such as, insulin and glycogen through a group of cells called the islets of Langerhans. This is known as the endocrine portion of the pancreas because the hormones are secreted into the blood. Alpha cells function to produce glucagon which increases the sugar levels in the blood while beta cells secrete insulin allowing cells to remove glucose from the blood in order to use it (pg. 345). By this cycle the body is able to maintain the balance of sugar in the blood and prevent certain diseases associated with insulin. However the pancreas also functions as an exocrine gland (pg. 643). …show more content…
Trypsin is used to digest proteins, amylase to break down carbohydrates, and lipase to break down fatty acids and cholesterol. It is then secreted as “pancreatic juice” through the pancreatic duct into the duodenum (small intestine. pg. 643). This is the exocrine function of the pancreas. Trypsinogen is secreted as an inactive enzyme but is then activated by brush border enzymes which then turns around to activate other enzymes in the pancreatic juice (Figure 18.29). Pancreatic juice also contains bicarbonate which is produced from the formula of the dissociation curve and is secreted as HCO3- in pancreatic juice and H+ when secreted into the blood (Figure