Ask a Teacher

Search



Which gland controls the amount of sugar in the blood?
 The pancreas is a large gland that lies alongside the stomach and the small bowel. It is about six inches (approximately 15cm) long and is divided into the head, body and tail.  The pancreas carries out two important roles:

    It makes digestive juices which consist of powerful enzymes.  These are released into the small bowel after meals to break down and digest food.
     
    It makes hormones that control blood glucose levels.

The pancreas produces hormones in its ‘endocrine’ cells.  These cells are gathered in clusters known as islets of Langerhans and monitor what is happening in the blood.  They then can release hormones directly into the blood when necessary. In particular, they sense when sugar (glucose) levels in the blood rise, and as soon as this happens the cells produce hormones, particularly insulin. Insulin then helps the body to lower blood glucose levels and ‘store’ the sugar away in fat, muscle, liver and other body tissues where it can be used for energy when required.


comments powered by Disqus