Anatomic.us > Digestive System

Stomach

The stomach is a sac-like organ which is the the initial organ of digestion. The stomach stores and digests food with gastric acid and a churning that is specialized to the is organ by the folds inside this muscular organ. The stomach is located in the upper left area of the abdomen below the liver and next to the spleen. It has three layers of muscles and the inside has small folds called rugae. It has a J shape when expanded and this happens when food enters the stomach from the esophagus.

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Stomach

The average stomach can hold approximately 1.5 gallons of food and liquid at a maximum capacity. It passes the food it holds for up to four hours into the lower digestive tract through the pyloric sphincter which is located above the duodenum. The stomach’s main ingredients for digestion are two gastric juices. In order to counteract these strong  juices, the stomach protects itself with mucus-like secretions. Were it not for these secretions the stomach would essentially digest itself.

Cells in the stomach create the active ingredients found in the gastric juices. They are pepsin and hydrochloric acid. The action of pepsin on food is its’ ability to break down protein and digest it. pepsin is a protein-digesting enzyme which activates when food enters the stomach. Hydrochloric acid is an extremely strong acid which further breaks down food and any other foreign particle like a bacteria or dirt that enters the stomach for digestion.

The stomach has two sphincters that control these gastric juices from getting into contact with other tissue not in the stomach lining.

 

Two Sphincters of the Stomach:

  • The esophageal sphincter separates the esophagus and stomach.

  • The pyloric sphincter regulates the speed at which food moves down to the small intestine.

 

After the stomach has churned the food with gastric juices it becomes a substance known as chyme. This broken down food which is like a liquid now passes through the pyloric sphincter toward the duodenum. After the chyme enters the duodenum it undergoes further processing by the small intestine. The stomach is divided into four sections, each one has different cells and functions. These sections are listed as follows:

 

Four Sections of the Stomach:

  • Cardia- This is where the contents of the esophagus empties into the stomach.

  • Fundus- This section is formed by the upper curvature of the organ.

  • Body or Corpus- This section is the main central body of the stomach.

  • Pylorus- The lower end of the stomach which helps in emptying the contents into the small intestine.


The average stomach can hold approximately 1.5 gallons of food and liquid at a maximum capacity. It passes the food it holds for up to four hours into the lower digestive tract through the pyloric sphincter which is located above the duodenum. The stomach’s main ingredients for digestion are two gastric juices. In order to counteract these strong  juices, the stomach protects itself with mucus-like secretions. Were it not for these secretions the stomach would essentially digest itself.

Cells in the stomach create the active ingredients found in the gastric juices. They are pepsin and hydrochloric acid. The action of pepsin on food is its’ ability to break down protein and digest it. pepsin is a protein-digesting enzyme which activates when food enters the stomach. Hydrochloric acid is an extremely strong acid which further breaks down food and any other foreign particle like a bacteria or dirt that enters the stomach for digestion.

The stomach has two sphincters that control these gastric juices from getting into contact with other tissue not in the stomach lining.

 

Two Sphincters of the Stomach:

  • The esophageal sphincter separates the esophagus and stomach.

  • The pyloric sphincter regulates the speed at which food moves down to the small intestine.

 

After the stomach has churned the food with gastric juices it becomes a substance known as chyme. This broken down food which is like a liquid now passes through the pyloric sphincter toward the duodenum. After the chyme enters the duodenum it undergoes further processing by the small intestine. The stomach is divided into four sections, each one has different cells and functions. These sections are listed as follows:

 

Four Sections of the Stomach:

  • Cardia- This is where the contents of the esophagus empties into the stomach.

  • Fundus- This section is formed by the upper curvature of the organ.

  • Body or Corpus- This section is the main central body of the stomach.

  • Pylorus- The lower end of the stomach which helps in emptying the contents into the small intestine.

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