Pancreas Functions, Location & Disease

Pancreas Functions, Location & Disease

Composition and functions of pancreatic juice.
Answer:

Pancreatic Juice Composition:

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• Pancreatic juice contains:
  1. Water-99.5%.
  2. Solids -0.5%.
     1. Organic substances: enzymes
        1. Proteolytic.
           • Trypsinogen.
           • Carboxypeptidase
           • Elastase
        2. Nucleases-deoxyribonuclease
        3. Amylolytic pancreatic amylase
        4. Lipolytic.
           • Pancreatic lipase
           • Phospholipase
     2. Inorganic substances.
        1. Cations.
           • Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc.
           • Na⁺ and K⁺ remains constant on changing rate of secretion.
     3. Anions:
        • HCO₃^–, CI^–, phosphate, sulphate.
        • At high secretory rates, CI^– conc. falls and HCO₃^–, conc. rises and total concentration of these two anions remains constants.

“Understanding the pancreas through FAQs: Functions, location, and diseases explained”

Functions of pancreatic juice:

1. Digestive function:

• Enzymes present in the pancreatic juice help in the digestion of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.
  1. Proteolytic enzymes.
     1. Trypsinogen – converts proteins into proteoses and polypeptides.
     2. Chymotrypsinogen – digest proteins into polypeptides
     3. Nucleases converts nucleic acids into nucleotides
     4. Elastase digest elastin.
     5. Collagenase digests collagen.
  2. Lipolytic enzymes.
     • Hydrolyzes triglycerides into monosaccharide and fatty acids.
  3. Amylolytic enzymes.
     • Pancreatic amylase – converts starch into dextrin and maltose.

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2. Neutralizing action:

• As soon as acidic chyme enters intestine from stomach, large quantity of pancreatic juice with its
• alkaline bicarbonate content is release into intestine.
• This alkaline bicarbonate neutralizes the acidic chyme.
• Thus, intestine is protected from the destructive action of acidic chyme.