Pancreatic juice is a liquid secreted by the pancreas

Pancreas

The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist...

, which contains a variety of enzymes, including trypsinogen

Trypsinogen

Trypsinogen is the precursor form or zymogen of the pancreatic enzyme trypsin. It is found in pancreatic juice, along with amylase, lipase, and chymotrypsinogen. It is activated by enteropeptidase, which is found in the intestinal mucosa, to form trypsin. Once activated, the trypsin can activate...

, chymotrypsinogen

Chymotrypsinogen

Chymotrypsinogen is a precursor of the digestive enzyme chymotrypsin.This molecule is inactive and must be cleaved by trypsin, and then by other...

, elastase

Elastase

In molecular biology, elastase is an enzyme from the class of proteases that break down proteins.- Forms and classification:There exist eight human genes for elastase:Bacterial forms: Organisms such as P...

, carboxypeptidase

Carboxypeptidase

A carboxypeptidase is a protease enzyme that hydrolyzes the peptide bond of an amino acid residue at the carboxy-terminal end...

, pancreatic lipase

Pancreatic lipase

Pancreatic lipase, also known as pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase, is secreted from the pancreas, and is the primary lipase that hydrolyzes dietary fat molecules in the human digestive system, converting triglyceride substrates found in ingested oils to monoglycerides and free fatty acids.Bile...

, and amylase

Amylase

Amylase is an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of starch into sugars. Amylase is present in human saliva, where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Food that contains much starch but little sugar, such as rice and potato, taste slightly sweet as they are chewed because amylase turns...

.

Pancreatic juice is alkaline in nature due to the high concentration of bicarbonate ions. This is useful in neutralizing the acidic gastric acid, allowing for effective enzymic action.

Pancreatic juice secretion is regulated by the hormones secretin

Secretin

Secretin is a hormone that controls the secretions into the duodenum, and also separately, water homeostasis throughout the body. It is produced in the S cells of the duodenum in the crypts of Lieberkühn...

 and cholecystokinin

Cholecystokinin

Cholecystokinin is a peptide hormone of the gastrointestinal system responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein...

, which is produced by the walls of the duodenum

Duodenum

The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms anterior intestine or proximal intestine may be used instead of duodenum...

upon detection of acid food, proteins and fats.
Pancreatic secretion consists of an aqueous bicarbonate component from the duct cells and enzymatic component from the acinar cells.

External links

• Diagram at uta.edu