By: Hayley Hicks
Emily Cantu
Ashley Cardwell
By: Macey McWhorter
Jack Harris

The pancreas is about 6 inches long, and sits
across the back of the abdomen, behind the
stomach.

The pancreas produces two antagonistic
hormones that control blood sugar: glucagon
and insulin. The pancreas also produces
somatostatin.

Insulin and Glucagon regulate in the blood,
and Somatostatin prevents the release of
insulin and glucagon

If the blood sugar is too low then the hormone
glucagon can raise the blood glucose level.
However if it gets too high than insulin is
released which lowers the blood glucose level.


The control of blood glucose levels operates by
what is known as a negative feedback mechanism.
When the blood sugar level rises in the body, the
pancreas will detect the rise and release insulin
into the bloodstream, thus lowering the blood
sugar levels. Once the blood sugar levels fall, the
pancreas stop pumping out insulin. Glucagon does
the opposite.
If conditions are lower than limit of homeostasis
the antagonistic hormones. Several cells in the
pancreas called pancreatic islets contain two kinds
of cells: alpha cells and beta cells. These cells
control blood glucose concentration by producing
the antagonistic hormones insulin and glucagon.


The pancreas secretes the hormones insulin
and glucagon to control blood sugar levels
throughout the day.
Somatostatin is a hormone produced to halt the
release of pancreatic hormones. It is secreted in
the delta cells of the pancreas.

All the body’s cells use glucose (sugar) as an
energy source. The level of sugar in the blood is
kept constant by insulin, which is made by
special cells in the pancreas. If the cells are not
working properly and insulin is lacking then
diabetes develops.

There are many pancreatic enzyme
preparations available and some are more
effective than others. How much of the enzyme
replacement you require will be determined by
your doctor but sometimes up to 20-30
capsules every day are required. You may also
need to take a tablet to reduce the level of acid
in the stomach so that the pancreatic enzyme
supplements can work better. The capsules are
often taken with meals or snacks.

The pineal gland is located in the brain just
above the cerebellum.

The hormone that the pineal gland produces is
melatonin. Melatonin maintains cardiac
rhythm and also regulates some reproductive
hormones. The secretion of melatonin is
dictated by light.

Melatonin controls your sleep and wake cycles.
You can get melatonin as a supplement to help
with jet lag, and melatonin is also found in
some foods.

Melatonin helps maintain homeostasis by
regulating the internal clock as well as keeping
a normal heart rate. This helps keep blood flow
throughout the body as well as helps you know
when you need to go to sleep in order to regain
energy.


The source of the human body’s circadian
rhythms lies in the suprachiasmatic nuclei,
SCN.
In day SCN greatly decreases the production of
melatonin created by the Pineal Gland, and
increases at night.

The glands that secrete the hormones are
ductless. This means that the hormones are
released directly into the bloodstream. And
travel elsewhere into the body.

In humans and other animals, the pineal gland
produces hormones that have important
endocrine functions. For example, in several
vertebrate species, pineal hormones influence
sexual development, hibernation, and seasonal
breeding. Depend on what age the person was
when it was removed, major impacts would be
a severe imbalance in the body’s internal clock
(circadian rhythms) and sexual maturity, but as
with most things to do with neurotransmitters
the results would be unpredictable.

If the pineal gland is not working properly it
can cause tumors, sexual dysfunction,
hypertension, epilepsy, Paget disease, and
cancer. Symptoms can include loss of energy
and bad skin.