01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Across the upper abdomen, behind the stomach.
02 / Structure & organization
Exocrine acini produce digestive enzymes, and ducts provide bicarbonate-rich fluid to the duodenum. Endocrine islets release hormones into blood, including insulin from beta cells and glucagon from alpha cells.
03 / Function
Its enzymes help break down food, and insulin helps control blood sugar.
04 / Mechanism
One part sends digestive enzymes through a duct into the small intestine. Other cells release hormones into the blood, including insulin and glucagon. Those hormones help regulate how glucose is used and stored.
Working together: digestive system
Teeth break food into pieces, the stomach mixes it, and the small intestine absorbs nutrients. Your blood then carries these nutrients around your body.
Meet this body system →Working together: endocrine system
Hormones travel in the blood to their target cells. Different hormones help guide growth, energy use and changes during puberty.
Meet this body system →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
Exocrine and endocrine describe secretion routes, not simply different jobs. The pancreas combines a duct-based digestive function with blood-borne metabolic regulation.
Check your understanding
Locate the pancreas in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Further reading: NIDDK: Your Digestive System & How It Works.
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.