The Digestive Process: What Is the Role of Your Pancreas in Digestion?Your pancreas plays a big role in digestion. It is located inside your belly (abdomen), just behind your stomach. It's about the size of your hand. During digestion, your pancreas makes pancreatic juices called enzymes. These enzymes break down sugars, fats, proteins, and starches. Your pancreas also helps your digestive system by making hormones. These are chemical messengers that travel through your blood. Pancreatic hormones help regulate your blood sugar levels and appetite, stimulate stomach acids, and tell your stomach when to empty. Show
Pancreatic enzymesYour pancreas creates natural juices called pancreatic enzymes to break down foods. These juices travel through your pancreas by tubes called ducts. They empty into the upper part of your small intestine called the duodenum. Each day, your pancreas makes about 8 ounces of digestive juice filled with enzymes. These are the different enzymes:
Pancreatic hormonesMany groups of cells make hormones inside your pancreas. Unlike enzymes that are released into your digestive system, hormones are released into your blood. They carry messages to other parts of your digestive system. Pancreatic hormones include:
Common pancreatic problems and digestionDiabetes, pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer are 3 common problems that affect the pancreas. Here is how they can affect digestion:
Your pancreas is important for digesting food and managing your use of sugar for energy after digestion. If you have any symptoms of pancreatic digestion problems, such as loss of appetite, abdominal pain, fatty stools, or weight loss, call your healthcare provider. If you have a family history of pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer, let your provider know. Which of the following substances is an enzyme that participates in the digestion of proteins amylase lipase pepsin mucus?Which of the following substances is an enzyme that participates in the digestion of proteins? c. Pepsin.
Which of the following is involved in the digestion of proteins?Protein digestion is brought about by the enzymes present in the stomach and the small intestine. Pepsin secreted by the chief cells of the stomach breaks protein into small peptides.
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