Pancreas :
An organ behind the lower part of the stomach that is about the size of a hand.
It makes insulin so that the body can use glucose (sugar) for energy.
It also makes enzymes that help the body digest food.
Spread all over the pancreas are areas called the islets of Langerhans.
The cells in these areas each have a special purpose.
The alpha cells make glucagon, which raises the level of glucose in the blood; the beta cells make insulin; the delta cells make somatostatin.
There are also the PP cells and the D1 cells, about which little is known.
Pancreas Transplant :
A surgical procedure that involves replacing the pancreas of a person who has diabetes with a healthy pancreas that can make insulin.
The healthy pancreas comes from a donor who has just died or from a living relative.
A person can donate half a pancreas and still live normally.
At present, pancreas transplants are usually performed in persons with insulin-dependent diabetes who have severe complications.
This is because after the transplant the patient must take immunosuppressive drugs that are highly toxic and may cause damage to the body.
Pancreatectomy :
A procedure in which a surgeon takes out the pancreas.
Pancreatitis :
Inflammation (pain, tenderness) of the pancreas; it can make the pancreas stop working.
It is caused by drinking too much alcohol, by disease in the gallbladder, or by a virus.
Diabetic Coma
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