I.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Every cell in the human body needs energy in order to function. The bodys primary energy source is glucose, a simple sugar resulting from the digestion of foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches). Glucose from the digested food circulates in the blood as a ready energy source for any cells that need it. Insulin is a hormone or chemical produced by cells in the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach. Insulin bonds to a receptor site on the outside of cell and acts like a key to open a door ay into the cell through enough insulin produced or hich glucose can enter. !ome of the glucose can be converted to concentrated energy sources like glycogen or fatty acids and saved for later use. "hen there is not hen the door ay no longer recogni#es the insulin key, glucose stays in the blood rather entering the cells. Anatomy of the pancreas: The pancreas is an elongated, tapered organ located across the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The right side of the organ (called the head) is the idest part of the organ and lies in the curve of the duodenum (the first section of the small intestine). The tapered left side e$tends slightly up ard (called the body of the pancreas) and ends near the spleen (called the tail). The pancreas is made up of t o types of tissue%

E$ocrine tissue The e$ocrine tissue secretes digestive en#ymes. These en#ymes are secreted into a net ork of

ducts that &oin the main pancreatic duct, hich runs the length of the pancreas.

Endocrine tissue The endocrine tissue, hich consists of the islets of 'angerhans, secretes hormones into the bloodstream.

Funct ons of the pancreas: The pancreas has digestive and hormonal functions%

The en#ymes secreted by the e$ocrine tissue in the pancreas help break do n carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and acids in the duodenum. These en#ymes travel do n the pancreatic duct into the bile duct in an inactive form. "hen they enter the duodenum, they are activated. The e$ocrine tissue also secretes a bicarbonate to neutrali#e stomach acid in the duodenum.

The hormones secreted by the endocrine tissue in the pancreas are insulin and glucagon ( hich regulate the level of glucose in the blood), and somatostatin ( hich prevents the release of the other t o hormones.

Anatomy of ! "ney

The kidneys play key roles in body function, not only by filtering the blood and getting rid of aste products, but also by balancing levels of electrolytes in the body, controlling blood pressure, and stimulating the production of red blood cells.

The kidneys are located in the abdomen to ard the back, normally one of each side of the spine. They get their blood supply through the renal arteries directly from the aorta and send blood back to the heart via the renal veins to the vena cava. (The term (renal( is derived from the 'atin name for kidney.)

The kidneys have the ability to monitor the amount of body fluid, the concentrations of electrolytes like sodium and potassium, and the acid)base balance of the body. They filter aste products of body metabolism, like urea from protein metabolism and uric acid from *+, breakdo n.

T o aste products in the blood can be measured% blood urea nitrogen (-.+) and creatinine (/r).

0idneys are also the source of erythropoietin in the body, a hormone that stimulates the bone marro to make red blood cells. !pecial cells in the kidney monitor the o$ygen concentration in blood. If o$ygen levels fall, erythropoietin levels rise and the body starts to manufacture more red blood cells.