Stomach
The stomach is the main food storage tank of the body. If it were not for the stomach’s storage capacity, we would have to eat constantly instead of just a few times each day. The stomach also secretes a mixture of acid, mucus, and digestive enzymes that helps to digest and sanitize our food while it is being stored.
Gross Anatomy
The stomach is a rounded, hollow organ located just inferior to the diaphragm in the left part of the abdominal cavity. Located between the esophagus and the duodenum, the stomach is a roughly crescent-shaped enlargement of the gastrointestinal tract. The inner layer of the stomach is full of wrinkles known as rugae (or gastric folds). Rugae both allow the stomach to stretch in order to accommodate large meals and help to grip and move food during digestion.
The stomach can be divided into four regions based on shape and function:
The esophagus connects to the stomach at a small region called the cardia. The cardia is a narrow, tube-like region that opens up into the wider regions of the stomach. Within the cardia is the lower esophageal sphincter, a band of muscle tissue that contracts to hold food and acid inside of the stomach.
The esophagus connects to the stomach at a small region called the cardia. The cardia is a narrow, tube-like region that opens up into the wider regions of the stomach. Within the cardia is the lower esophageal sphincter, a band of muscle tissue that contracts to hold food and acid inside of the stomach.
The cardia empties into the body of the stomach, which forms the central and largest region of the stomach.
Superior to the body is a dome shaped region known as the fundus.
Inferior to the body is a funnel shaped region known as the pylorus. The pylorus connects the stomach to the duodenum and contains the pyloric sphincter. The pyloric sphincter controls the flow of partially digested food (known as chyme) out of the stomach and into the duodenum.
No comments:
Post a Comment