What does the pancreas do? - Emma Bryce

翻译人员: Jane Gan 校对人员: Claire Zhang

Beneath your ribs, you'll find, among other things, the pancreas,

在肋骨下方可以找到胰腺，

an organ that works a lot like a personal health coach.

它的工作很像私人健康教练

This organ controls your sugar levels and produces a special juice

它控制血糖，并产生一种特殊的消化液

that releases the nutrients from your food

使得营养物质从食物中流出

to help keep you in the best possible shape.

帮助你保持尽可能好的身材

The pancreas sits just behind your stomach,

胰腺正好位于胃的后方

an appropriate home, as one of its jobs is to break down the food you eat.

这个位置很合适，因为 胰腺的工作之一就是分解食物

It aids digestion by producing a special tonic made of water,

它通过分泌一种特殊的开胃水促进消化， 这种开胃水含有水、

sodium bicarbonate,

碳酸氢钠

and digestive enzymes.

和消化酶

Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes the stomach's natural acidity,

碳酸氢钠中和胃里本就有的酸

so these digestive enzymes can perform their jobs.

这样消化酶才能产生作用

Lipase breaks down fatty substances,

脂肪酶分解含脂肪的物质

protease splits up proteins,

蛋白酶分解蛋白质

and amylase divides carbohydrates to create energy-rich sugars.

淀粉酶将碳水化合物分解为高能量的糖

Most of those nutrients then get absorbed into the blood stream,

大多数营养物质被吸收进血液中

and go on to enrich the body.

进而丰富机体的营养

While all this is happening, the pancreas works on another critical task,

当进行上述工作时， 胰腺还进行另一个重要的任务

controlling the amount of sugar in your blood.

它控制着血糖含量。

It achieves this with the hormones insulin and glucagon,

它通过胰岛素和胰高血糖素做到这点

which are produced in special cells called the Islets of Langerhans.

这两种激素由胰岛这一特殊的细胞产生

Having too much or too little sugar can be life threatening,

体内糖分过多或过少都会威胁到生命

so the pancreas must stay on constant alert.

所以胰腺必须时刻保持警惕

After a big meal, the blood often becomes flushed with sugar.

一顿丰盛的食物过后，大量糖分涌入血液

To bring us back to normal, the pancreas releases insulin,

胰腺释放胰岛素使 我们的血糖含量回到正常水平

which makes the excess sugar move into cells,

过量的糖进入细胞

where it's either used as an energy source, or stored for later.

被用作能量源，或被储存起来供之后的使用

Insulin also tells the liver to shut down sugar production.

胰岛素也向肝脏发出信号， 让它停止生成糖

On the other hand, if blood sugar is low,

另一方面，如果血糖含量低

the pancreas releases a hormone called glucagon

胰腺释放一种叫做胰高血糖素的激素

that tells the body's cells and liver to release stored sugars

向体内的细胞和肝脏发出信号， 释放储存的糖

back into the bloodstream.

使其回到血液中

The interplay between insulin and glucagon is what keeps our sugar levels balanced.

胰岛素和胰高血糖素的相互作用保 持了机体血糖浓度的平衡

But a faulty pancreas can no longer coach us like this,

但是出了问题的胰腺就不能 像这样指导体内的活动了

meaning that this healthy balance is destroyed.

这意味着健康的平衡被打破

If it's weakened by disease,

如果胰腺的作用因疾病受到减弱

the organ's ability to produce insulin may be reduced, or even extinguished,

它产生胰岛素的能力就会减弱，甚至消失

which can trigger the condition known as diabetes.

就会引起糖尿病

Without regular insulin release, sugar steadily builds up in the blood,

没有经常的胰岛素释放， 糖不断地在血液中积聚

eventually hardening the blood vessels and causing heart attacks,

最终使血管硬化并导致心脏病发作

kidney failure,

肾脏衰竭

and strokes.

和中风

The same lack of insulin deprives cells of the energy-rich sugar

胰岛素的缺乏也会使 细胞得不到高能量的糖

they need to grow and function.

而细胞需要它们进行生长、工作

People with diabetes also tend to have higher levels of glucagon,

患有糖尿病的人通常有高含量的 胰高血糖素

which makes even more sugar circulate.

使得更多的糖份在血液中循环

Without this internal health coach, our sugar levels would go haywire,

没有胰腺这个体内的健康教练， 血糖会失控

and we wouldn't be able to digest important nutrients.

我们将无法消化重要的营养物质

But like any coach,

但就如同任何教练一样

it's not the pancreas' job alone to keep us healthy.

仅仅有胰腺的工作并不能使我们保持健康

It needs our conscious participation, too.

我们也需要自觉地参与。