Last time we looked at a gland in the stomach where acid and an enzyme are secreted to begin the breakdown of protein. I talked about the chyme that is produced by the mixing of stomach secretions with the food. As chyme leaves the stomach (symbolized by the hamburger — although in reality it is now mush), it enters the duodenum (shown here as a pink tube) — the first part of the small intestine, and by far the shortest (the original term “duodenum digitorum” meant it was “twelve fingers’ widths” in length). It’s a tiny part of the 10-foot long small intestine, but a vital part, because this is where several key ingredients are added.
The pancreas is far more important for digestion than the stomach because it secretes enzymes to digest all three food groups — fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It’s a somewhat fish-shaped gland, that sits behind the stomach. These enzymes don’t function well in an acid environment, so the pancreas throws in a little natural “alka-seltzer” (bicarbonate) to neutralize the acid, and all this is poured together into the duodenum, through a duct.
The word pancreas means “all flesh” because there is little in the pancreas other than soft, secretory cells (nothing tough, no gristle). I tried it once in New Orleans (it’s called “sweetbread” on the dinner table), and it wasn’t bad at all.