The Stomach

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The stomach is a major organ of the digestive system. Stomach is mainly responsible for digestion of food in this article let us discuss some basic facts about the stomach.

  • The stomach is in the abdominal cavity.
  • It is a J shaped dilated sac.
  • The inner surface of the stomach is highly folded and has enormous number of pits that leads to gastric glands.
  • Gastric gland has three types of cells. They are,
    • Mucus cells
    • Chief cells
    • Parietal cells
  • Mucus cells releases mucus.
  • Chief cells release pepsinogen.
  • Parietal cells release H+ and Cl- (HCl).
  • The wall of the stomach is very elastic.
  • Distal part of the stomach connects to the small intestine.
  • Cardiac sphincter is found at the junction between oesophagus and stomach.
  • Pyloric sphincter is found at the junction between stomach and small intestine.
  • These sphincters help to regulate the passage of materials.
  • The inner lining of the stomach is protected from HCl by a mucus layer.
  • Stomach acts like a temporary reservoir for food.
  • Mechanical digestion of food is done by churning action due to muscular contraction.