The pancreas is a very important digestive organ. It works both as an endocrine gland (like the thyroid, adrenal, pituitary glands), secreting hormones directly into the blood stream and also as an exocrine gland like the liver, secreting digestive enzymes through a duct in the small intestine to assist the digestive process.
As an endocrine gland it secretes insulin which regulates the blood sugar. When too much insulin is produced, it causes low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. When too little insulin is produced, diabetes results.
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