Michael Hasse, age 12, of Santa Rosa, Calif., for his question:

WHERE IS THE PANCREAS AND WHAT DOES IT DO?

Most animals with backbones have a gland called the pancreas. In human beings it is about seven inches long and it lies against the stomach with its broad end, or head, in the curve of the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.

The pancreas assists in the digestion of foods. It also produces an important hormone called insulin that regulates the metabolism of glucose.

The pancreas pours out three secretions as partly digested food enters the duodenum: trypsin, which completes the digestion of proteins; amylase, which helps to digest starches and sugars; and lipase, which goes to work digesting fats.

There are nests of tiny cells scattered throughout the pancreas called islets, or small islands, of Langerhans. These spots were named after a scientist who first discovered then.

The islets of Langerhans produce insulin. These are ductless glands that empty straight into the blood.