View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-does-the-pancreas-do-emma-bryce Beneath your ribs, you'll find, among other things, the pancreas -- an organ that works a lot like a personal...
========== Beneath your ribs, you'll find,
among other things, the pancreas, an organ that works a lot
like a personal health coach. This organ controls your sugar levels
and produces a special juice that releases the nutrients from your food to help keep you
in the best possible shape. The pancreas sits just
behind your stomach, an appropriate home, as one of its jobs
is to break down the food you eat. It aids digestion by producing
a special tonic made of water, sodium bicarbonate, and digestive enzymes. Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes
the stomach's natural acidity, so these digestive enzymes
can perform their jobs. Lipase breaks down fatty substances, protease splits up proteins, and amylase divides carbohydrates
to create energy-rich sugars. Mos...