What is the Difference Between Pancreatic Juice and Bile Juice

The key difference between pancreatic juice and bile juice is that the pancreas secretes pancreatic juice, while the liver secretes bile juice.

Digestion is the process of breaking down large, insoluble food compounds consumed by individuals into smaller, water-soluble units. This breakdown facilitates the easy absorption of these compounds into the blood plasma. Two key digestive juices, pancreatic juice and bile juice, play essential roles in aiding the digestion process. However, pancreatic juice contains enzymes like amylase, lipase, and trypsin, whereas bile juice does not contain any type of enzymes.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Pancreatic Juice 
3. What is Bile Juice
4. Similarities – Pancreatic Juice and Bile Juice
5. Pancreatic Juice vs. Bile Juice in Tabular Form
6. FAQ –  Pancreatic Juice and Bile Juice
7. Summary – Pancreatic Juice vs. Bile Juice

What is Pancreatic Juice?

Pancreatic juice is a liquid secreted by the pancreas, and it contains digestive enzymes such as trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, elastase, carboxypeptidase, pancreatic lipase, nucleases, and amylase. The alkaline nature of pancreatic juice is attributed to its elevated concentration of bicarbonate ions.

Pancreatic juice is a digestive juice where the secretion is principally regulated by two hormones called secretin and cholecystokinin. The walls of the duodenum produce these hormones. Furthermore, pancreatic juice is alkaline mainly due to bicarbonate ions. These bicarbonate ions are useful in neutralizing the acidic gastric acid, ultimately allowing for effective enzymic functions.

What is Bile Juice?

Bile juice, also known as gall, is a yellowish green, brown colour aqueous solution that is secreted by hepatocytes of the liver and stored in the gallbladder. This solution is composed of 95% water, which has solid constituents such as bile salts (0.7%), bilirubin (0.2%), fats (0.51%) like cholesterol, fatty acids, and lecithin, inorganic salts, vitamins, and environmental toxins.

Moreover, bile juice serves several functions, including acting as a crucial excretory pathway for bilirubin and other lipophilic substances, aiding in the emulsification of fats and enhancing their absorption in the intestine, eliminating cholesterol, stimulating the innate immune system to protect against enteric infections, and contributing hormones that play a role in the development of the intestine.

What are the Similarities Between Pancreatic Juice and Bile Juice?

• Pancreatic juice and bile juice are two digestive juices.
• Both juices play important roles in the digestion process.
• Both juices are alkaline in nature.
• The changes in these juices cause problems in the digestion process.

What is the Difference Between Pancreatic Juice and Bile Juice?

The pancreas secretes pancreatic juice, while the liver secretes bile juice. Thus, this is the key difference between pancreatic juice and bile juice. Furthermore, pancreatic juice contains enzymes like amylase, trypsin, and lipase, whereas bile juice does not contain any type of enzymes.

The infographic below presents the differences between pancreatic juice and bile juice in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

FAQ: Pancreatic Juice and Bile Juice

Which is more alkaline, bile or pancreatic juice?

Pancreatic juice, with a pH ranging from 7.8 to 9.0, is one of the most alkaline juices produced in the body.

What is the main function of the pancreatic juice?

Enzymes present in the pancreatic juice break down sugars, fats, and starches.

What are the two main functions of bile?

Biles take away waste and break down fats.

Summary – Pancreatic Juice vs. Bile Juice

Digestion is a process that involves both mechanical and enzymatic actions to break down food into smaller substances that the body can readily absorb. Pancreatic juice and bile juice are two digestive juices that aid the digestion process. Pancreatic juice is a liquid secreted by the pancreas, while bile juice is a yellowish-green, brown color aqueous solution secreted by the hepatocytes of the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Furthermore, pancreatic juice acts on carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, whereas bile juice acts on fats. So, this summarizes the difference between pancreatic juice and bile juice.

Reference:

1. “Pancreatic Juice – An Overview.” ScienceDirect.
2. “Bile.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Figure 15.9.1 : The Pancreas” By ASCCC OERI (CC BY 2.0 DEED) via Flickr
2. “Lipid and bile salts” By Bile1.png: Frank Boumphrey, MDderivative work: Rehua (talk) – This file was derived from: Bile1.png (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia