Secretion by the Liver and Pancreas

SECRETION BY THE LIVER AND PANCREAS 5

Explanation of the Topic

The digestion of ingested food requires some secretions from thepancreas and the liver, which are organs in the body. It is essentialto note that food contains many elements such as fats, carbohydrates,and proteins (Starr, 2016). Therefore, the two glands releasedifferent fluids that aid in the digestion of varied elements.Notably, the secretion of these fluids is regulated by varioushormones.

Structure and Function

The liver is the largest internal organ in the body and it islocated under the diaphragm. Its main function is the secretion ofbile for digestion of fat, storage of glucose, filtering poisons andwaste from the body, as well as regulating chemical levels in theblood (Starr, 2016). The pancreas on the other hand, lies along thestomach and it is approximately 15 centimeters in length. The primarypurpose of the pancreas is to release enzymes for digestion and alsoproduce hormones that regulate blood glucose levels.

Examples to Clarify and Teach

In order to teach how the liver and the pancreas aids in digestion,students can be given the example of the foods they eat. Foods can becategorized into those with fats and the ones without. The use liverand pancreas images can be an effective method of teaching.

Tips and Tricks for Remembering

Images of the two glands must be used to ensure that studentsremember. Further, some of the hormones’ names such as the nameCholecystokinin is a combination of two words. In this case,cholecysto means gallbladder while kinin means movement.

Application of the Topic to Real Life

It is important to know how the various foods are digested in thebody. Digestive disorders can also be treated when people haveknowledge of the various hormones that affect the secretion of thedigestive juices.

Current Research

The research on the role of hormones in regulating secretions by thepancreas and the liver seems conclusive. Therefore, there is littleor no research that is ongoing regarding the same issue.

The pancreas produces strong enzymes once an individual eats somefood. The enzymes aid in the digestion and processing of the foodinto glucose and other nutrients. The insulin and glucagon hormonesregulate the glucose levels in the blood hence determining the amountof enzymes that the pancreases can release (Starr, 2016). Insulinhelps to convert some of the glucose in the blood into storable formsin the liver and muscles. Glucagon, on the other hand, breaks downthe stored glucose back into the blood. This happens when the stomachdoes not have any food to be processed and it limits the productionof any enzymes by the pancreas.

The liver secretes bile juice, which is responsible for thedigestion of fats and fatty vitamins. However, the release of thisfluid is regulated by some hormones, which react to the differentlevels of acids and fats in the duodenum. Secretin is one of thehormones that reacts to the level of acid in the duodenum andstimulates the biliary duct, which in turn produces water andbicarbonate. This increases the amount of bile that is released intothe intestines (Starr, 2016). Another hormone that regulates thesecretion of bile in the live is the Cholecystokinin hormone. Thishormone is sensitive to fat presence in the duodenum, and this makesit to stimulate contractions in the bile duct leading to the releaseof bile into the gut.

Importance of the Topic

The study of the effects of hormones on pancreas and liversecretions is extremely important. There are many digestive systemailments that are related to these secretions, and, therefore, it isessential to understand how they are regulated in order to administerthe right treatment. The topic also gives insights into how the bodyuses its energy.

Reference

Starr, L. (2016).&nbspBiology: The unity and diversity of life.Australia: Cengage Learning.