Describe the physiology of the pancreas

The Pancreas is a special organ found in the abdominal cavity. What is unusual about the pancreas is that it has both an endocrine and an exocrine function. An endocrine function is when the organ produces a hormone that usually enters the blood stream and and exocrine function is when the organ produces an enzyme or a liquid that is transported outside the vasculature.
The pancreas is mainly an exocrine organ which produces pancreatic juices which contain enzymes which help to break down food in the digestive tract. The tissue that has an exocrine function is called pancreatic acinar tissue!
The endocrine portion of the pancreas produces 2 main hormones: insulin and glucagon. Insulin decreases blood glucose levels and glucagon increases blood glucose levels. The tissue in the pancreas that has an endocrine function is called the islets of Langerhans. So if you were to imagine the structure of the pancreas, it is small islands of endocrine tissue in an ocean of exocrine tissue.