Structure of the stomach

Structure of the stomachThe stomach is a hollow organ located between the esophagus and the duodenum, where the initial stages of digestion occur. In its most primitive form, the stomach can be found in organisms such as Cnidarians (e.g., jellyfish and corals).ShapeThe stomach is a tubular, sac-shaped hollow organ located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm. In humans, it exists as a single hollow structure. The stomach has two main surfaces: an anterior and a posterior wall. Due to its curved shape, the stomach features two distinct curvatures:

Greater curvature of the stomach

Lesser curvature of the stomach

ClassificationThe stomach is divided into four sections, each with distinct histological features and functions. These sections are:

Cardia: The short, proximal section where the esophagus joins the stomach at the cardiac orifice.

Fundus: Located to the left of the cardia and curving upwards. The dome-shaped part of the fundus is called the gastric fornix, where air collects in form of a gastric bubble.

Body: The central portion of the stomach, which is the main part of the organ.

Pyloric part: The distal section of the stomach, consisting of the pyloric antrum, pyloric canal, and the pylorus, which connects to the duodenum through the pyloric orifice.

At the lesser curvature, the transition to the pyloric part is marked by the angular incisure.Author: Joshua Soeder, DocCheck, created with BioRender.com; licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0