Q1. [2]
Varun is diabetic. His latest ultrasound reports showed a blockage in his pancreatic duct. How will this affect the dual functioning of the pancreas ?
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 31/4/1 Q12 (A)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-07 16:37 · grounding rag
Model Answer
The pancreas acts as both an exocrine and an endocrine gland.
- Exocrine function (affected): A blockage in the pancreatic duct will prevent pancreatic juice (containing enzymes like trypsin and lipase) from reaching the small intestine, thus hampering digestion of proteins and fats.
- Endocrine function (unaffected): The secretion of insulin directly into the blood does not depend on the pancreatic duct, so blood sugar regulation continues. However, since Varun is diabetic, his insulin secretion is already impaired.
Source: Chapter 5, Section 5.2.4 – Nutrition in Human Beings
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Explanation
- The key distinction here is exocrine (duct-dependent) vs endocrine (ductless, directly into blood).
- Examiners expect students to name the affected enzymes (trypsin, lipase) and state that digestion will be impaired.
- Mentioning insulin and that endocrine function is unaffected by the duct blockage earns the second mark.
- The diabetes reference in the question is a hint to link back to insulin/endocrine function — address it briefly.
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