Perhaps not all people know the weight of the pancreas, although they are well aware that this organ is small in a human, but its role in our body is so great. So how many grams are hidden such a big force, let's try to figure out together and determine whether its weight affects the state of health.
The weight of the pancreas practically does not exceed 100 g in a healthy person. However, often these values depend on age.
Consider how the mass of the pancreas varies from birth to old age.
About this gland can not even be spoken from the moment the newborn enters the world, but from the time of its formation in the fetus. This happens about 4-5 weeks, when the first cells are planned, which will become the given organ. But only about its weight then it does not go at all. It is so small that it can be seen only with the help of instruments. At the time the baby is born, its length reaches a little over 3 - 5 cm, it weighs only about 3-6 g. Its functions at this age are almost not defined, but for the body it is not scary, because the baby eats onlymother's milk.
Every month it increases slightly. At 3 years, the average weight is already 20 g, and by 10 years it is increased to 30 g. This is approximately 10 times more than was iron in newborns at birth.
Another round in the acquisition of mass occurs in adolescence, when the whole body grows intensely, including the pancreas. It is no less than 50 g and in an adult reaches its usual size and weight 60-80-100 g.
In the elderly, its size decreases slightly and the weight can reach 50-60 g. Thus, in comparison with the size of a newborn and an adultthere is an increase of about 28 times.
A healthy pancreas, like the heart or liver, should have its usual dimensions. However, with the appearance of formations, not only does it increase in size, but also a decrease in mass. And if the weight of the pancreas in adulthood is less than 60 g, this indicates a pathology. That's just to monitor the size of this body is very difficult. It is impossible to take and put it on electronic scales to weigh. Therefore, it is observed more visually during ultrasound.