ANATOMY OF THE STOMACH stomach - The enlarged, muscular sac-like portion of the gastrointestinal tract, located in the upper

abdominal cavity, between the esophagus (at the lower esophageal sphincter) and the duodenum of the small intestine (at the pyloric sphincter); where mechanical digestion is completed and chemical digestion, particularly of protein, continues; its glands secrete mucous, HCl, pepsin(ogen), intrinsic factor, and in infants, gastric lipase and rennin; it is roughly divided into four parts (cardia, fundus, body, and pylorus); its inner lining is covered by longitudinal folds of the mucosa, rugae, and its wall consists of an inner simple columnar epithelium with some goblet cells, a lamina propria of loose fibrous connective tissue, a muscularis unusual in having a third layer of oblique fibers, and an outer serosa. cardia - The upper tapered portion of the stomach which extends a short distance from the opening of the esophagus and where the gastric glands lack parietal and chief cells; the part of the stomach usually involved when hiatal hernia occurs. fundus - The rounded base of the stomach, that portion farthest from the pyloric sphincter. pylorus - The long, tapering passage at the lower, distal end of the stomach which opens into the duodenum at the pyloric sphincter; the part of the stomach responsible for gastric emptying which is regulated by GIP, CCK and secretin. rugae - The longitudinal folds or creases on the inner lining of the stomach, composed primarily of the epithelial and mucosal layers, which contribute to effective mixing of chyme in the stomach; they increase the surface area for gastric secretion and also contribute to gastric mixing, acting as modest mixing "blades"/"spatulas".

pyloric sphincter - The ring of smooth muscle fibers around the distal opening of the pylorus of the stomach into the duodenum; it regulates gastric emptying by remaining closed except when a small amount of liquified, partially digested food, chyme, or liquid is being passed to the duodenum; it protects the duodenal lining from erosion by the acidic

stomach contents; its opening is regulated by the content of the meal, by hyperglycemia, by digestive hormone (gastrin, cholecystokinin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and gastric inhibitory peptide) and regulatory impulses from the ANS. lesser curvature - The boundary of the stomach which forms a relatively short concave curve on the right, medial, side of the stomach, from the opening for the esophagus to the opening into the duodenum. greater curvature - The boundary of the stomach which forms a relatively long convex curve on the left and inferior sides of the stomach, from the opening for the esophagus to the opening into the duodenum. mixing waves - Slow segmenting movements, every 15 to 25 seconds, within the stomach involving complex patterns of contraction of the three layers of gastric smooth muscle (circular, longitudinal, and oblique) which complete the mechanical digestion of food while combining the bolus of swallowed food with the gastric secretions to continue to chemical digestion of food. chyme - The thick, semifluid mass of partly digested food which has been acted upon by gastric secretions and is transferred slowly, in small quantites, by the stomach into the duodenum.

List:
7. structures which increase the surface area of the stomach. rugae 13. the functions of the stomach. (1) serve as a storage chamber for ingested foodstuffs (2) essentially complete mechanical digestion of food by churning motions (3) begin chemical digestion of proteins with pepsin (assisted by rennin in neonates = newborns) (4) (continue chemical digestion of lipids with gastric lipase in neonates = newborns) (5) secrete intrinsic factor necessary for vitamin B12 absorption in the intestines (6) secrete mucous to lubricate and protect the stomach and intestinal linings (7) secrete HCl to attack and destroy any microbes swallowed as a part of ingestion of food or the swallowing of mucous secretions swept out of the respiratory tree by the mucociliary elevator; note: HCl also plays a minor role in the chemical digestion of foods by generalized acid hydrolysis reactions (8) control the rate of chyme movement from the stomach to the small intestines (9) permit the absorption of a few lipid soluble molecules such as ethanol, aspirin, etc.

(10) secrete gastrin from G cells which assists in the endocrine regulation of gastric secretion