The pancreas is the second largest digestive gland in the human body and is located in the supra-abdominal region and the left quarter rib region.
The pancreas is situated transversely in front of the 1st to 2nd lumbar vertebrae and is close to the posterior abdominal wall, in front of the stomach, and behind the inferior vena cava, common bile duct, hepatic portal vein and other important structures. It is surrounded by the duodenum on the right and the splenic hilum on the left end, and is located as a whole in the supra-abdominal and left quaternary rib regions.
The pancreas consists of an exocrine division, which secretes pancreatic juice containing a variety of digestive enzymes capable of digesting proteins and sugars, and an endocrine division, which is the pancreatic islets, whose main function is to secrete insulin as a means of regulating blood glucose concentration.
The pancreas can be divided into 4 parts: the head of the pancreas, the neck of the pancreas, the body of the pancreas, and the tail of the pancreas, with no obvious boundaries. When the head of the pancreas is enlarged and compresses the common bile duct, it can affect the discharge of bile, and obstructive jaundice occurs.
For more information about human anatomy and physiology, it is recommended to refer to specialized textbooks or consult your doctor.