HB-069 · Digestive · Part
Pancreas
Also called: pancreas Pancreas
3D anatomy data Classes 6-8 · Classes 9-10 · Classes 11-12 Intermediate Draft - educator review
3D is not available on this device, so a picture of the model is shown instead.
Parts: head; body; tail; pancreatic duct; islets
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About
The pancreas makes digestive enzymes and the hormones insulin and glucagon.
- 📍 Where it is
- Behind the stomach, its head in the curve of the duodenum and its tail near the spleen.
- 🧱 Structure
- Mostly enzyme-making acini with ducts, plus scattered hormone-making islets of Langerhans.
- ⚙️ What it does
- Digestive juice for carbohydrates, proteins and fats; blood sugar control.
💡 Key facts
- It is both an exocrine and an endocrine gland.
- Pancreatic juice is alkaline to neutralise stomach acid.
- Islets make up only about 1-2% of it.
✗ The pancreas only makes insulin
✓ Most of it makes digestive enzymes.
📒 Words to know
- exocrine
- secreting through ducts
- endocrine
- secreting hormones into blood
- insulin
- hormone lowering blood sugar
🏫 Related lessons
- Food and nutrition Classes 1-5
- Food, nutrition and health Classes 6-8
- Life processes Classes 9-10
Generic GayaGnan topic lessons. Check your own board's syllabus for the exact chapter.
🔎 Sources and credits
Catalog description: Exocrine and endocrine regions.
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, ch. 23 (digestive system) (accessed 2026-10-30)
- 3D models: BodyParts3D (DBCLS) and the Human Reference Atlas (HuBMAP), CC BY 4.0, with GayaGnan schematics. 3D model credits
For learning only. This site does not give medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it does not collect any health data.