Pancreatic juice: description, composition, functions and features

Pancreatic juice is a fluid that the pancreas produces. It resembles an alkaline, clear liquid without color. The gland is located behind the peritoneum and joins the spine at level 1 and 2 of the vertebrae in the lumbar region. Approximately, in an adult, its mass is 80 grams, and the length is 22 cm. The pancreas has a head, body and tail. It consists of glandular tissue and excretory ducts. According to the latest pancreatic juice advances into the duodenum. What composition does it have and what function does it perform in the body? This is now and will be discussed.

Composition of pancreatic juice

The composition of pancreatic fluid includes the following components:

• Creatinine;
• uric acid;
• urea;
• Various microelements.

A person produces about 1.5-2 liters of pancreatic juice per day. Secretion is controlled by the nervous and endocrine systems. With a large amount of pancreatic juice that secretes iron, an acute and chronic stage of pancreatitis develops. With a lack of secretion, a person quickly loses weight, although he has an increased appetite, and eats a lot. This is due to the fact that food is poorly digested in the body. Pancreatic juice plays a huge role in the process of digesting food. It is composed mostly of water. Thus, approximately 98 percent account for it and 2 percent for the remaining organic elements.

Pancreatic juice and its enzymes

Enzymes of pancreatic juice are divided into two groups: organic and inorganic. The organic include:

• Chymotrypsin;
• Trypsin;
• Phospholipase;
• Elastase;
• Carboxypeptidase and other enzymes in the form of proenzymes, which have the property of splitting proteins, fats and carbohydrates during their digestion.

Inorganic enzymes include:

• amylase;
• Maltase;
• lactase;
• Lipase.

Enzymes of the pancreas are quite aggressive. Therefore, iron produces a trypsin inhibitor to prevent self-digestion of cells.

Pancreatic juice: function

For man, the pancreas is of great importance and performs many necessary functions. First of all, it produces a liquid that is necessary for digesting food. With the help of this property, food entering the stomach is processed into substances, which are then distributed throughout the body. Pancreatic juice controls digestion. It contains all the enzymes necessary for digestion. It is very important that the acidity of the pancreatic juice is not lower than 7, 5 pH and not more than 8.5 pH. Pancreatic juice (pancreatic juice) is produced with each ingestion of food into the stomach and becomes the main thing in the process of its digestion.

Features of proper digestion

To pancreatic juice was allocated in sufficient quantity and the digestion process passed quickly and smoothly, it is necessary to adhere to the right and healthy diet, try to avoid the use of spicy, fried and fatty foods. Such food will lead to increased workload in the intestines and stomach, which will affect the unfavorable work of the pancreas.

Features of the juice that produces the pancreas

There are three main phases of pancreatic juice production:

Brain. It is based on conditioned and unconditioned reflexes. The conditional refers to:

• Visibility of food;
• Its smell;
• Process of cooking;
• Mention of delicious food.

In this case, pancreatic juice is released under the influence of nerve impulses that go from the cortex to the gland. Therefore, this process has received the name conditional-reflex.

The unconditioned reflex effects include the production of pancreatic juice when stimulated by eating the pharynx and oral cavity.

The cerebral phase is short and with it little juice is produced, but a large number of enzymes.

Gastric. This phase is based on the stimulation of receptors by food that has entered the stomach. Due to this, neurons are excited and pass through the secretory fibers into the gland, where the secretion of the juice occurs under the influence of a special hormone, gastrin. In the gastric phase, juice has few salts and water, and many organic enzymes.

Intestinal. It passes under the influence of humoral and nerve impulses. Under the control of the gastric composition that enters the duodenum and the products of incomplete splitting of the nutrient components, impulses are transmitted to the brain and then to the gland, as a result of which the production of pancreatic juice begins.

Effect of food on the production of pancreatic juice

At rest, the pancreas does not produce pancreatic juice. In the process of eating and after it, the selection becomes continuous. Pancreatic juice, its quantity, functions in relation to digestion of food, and the duration of the process depend on the quality values of food and its composition. In large quantities, pancreatic juice is produced with the use of bread and bakery products. Slightly less for meat, and very little for dairy products. Pancreatic fluid, which was released for processing meat and meat products, is more alkaline than that produced by other products. When eating fatty foods, the juice in its composition has three times more lipase (compared to meat dishes).

The center of the digestive system has a complex structure, its components are found in many parts of the brain. All of them are interrelated. The digestive center has many functions. Among them we can distinguish such as:

• Participates in the regulation of motor, suction and secretory function;
• Gives a signal of hunger, a sense of satiety and thirst.

Hunger is the presence of sensations caused by the need for food. It is based on an unconditioned reflex, transmitted to the pancreas from the nervous system. It is better to eat small meals up to five times a day. Then the pancreas will function properly and without failure.

Take care of yourself and be well!