STOMACH

Main Function:
• It primarily houses food for mixing with
hydrochloric acid and other secretions.
• lined with simple columnar epithelium

Anatomy of the stomach

• Gastroesophageal opening
-opening from esophagus into the stomach

• Cardiac Region - stomach region

• Fundus- superior part of the stomach
• Body
-largest part of the stomach
-turns to the right forming a GREATER and
LEASSER CURVATURE
 • Pyloric opening
-surrounded by relatively thick ring of smooth muscle
called pyloric sphincter
LAYER OF THE STOMACH- produce churning action
in the stomach, important in digestive process

1. Outer longitudinal layer

2. Middle Circular layer
3. Inner oblique layer

Submucosa & Mucosa

thrown into large folds called Rugae, when stomach is
empty

Rugae- folds allowing the mucosa and submucosa to

stretch, and these folds disappears as the stomach
filled

Gastric Pits -tubelike forms by mucosal surface

openings of gastric glands
 EPITHELIAL CELLS IN THE STOMACH

1. Surface mucous cells

2. Mucous neck cells - produce mucus
3. Parietal cells - produce hydrochloric acid and
intrinsic factor
4. Chief cells - produce pepsinogen, a precursor of the
protein
- digesting enzyme "PEPSIN"

PEPSIS- DIGESTION
SECRETIONS OF THE STOMACH
CHYME - stomach secretions

1. Hydrochloric Acid
-produces a pH of about 2.0 in the stomach
acid kills microorganisms and activates the enzyme , pepsin

2. Pepsin
-converted from its inactive form, pepsinogen
-breaks covalent bonds of proteins to form smaller peptide chains
-exhibit optimum enzymatic activity at a pH of about 2.0

3. Mucus
-lubricates the epithelial cells of the stomach wall
-protects them from the damaging effect of the acidic chyme and pepsin
irritation of the stomach mucosa stimulates the secretion of mucus

4. Intrinsic factors
binds vitamin B12 and readily absorbed in the small intestine
• Vitamin B12- essential in DNA and RBC production

Heartburn/ gastritis
- a painful sensation in the chest usually associated with
an increase in gastric acid secretion/ backflush of acidic
chyme into the esophagus
REGULATION OF STOMACH SECRETIONS
• 2L of gastric secretions or juice are produced each day

• Nervous and hormonal mechanisms

- regulate gastric secretions

3 PHASES OF STOMACH REGULATION

1. Cephalic Phase - "Get started"

2. Gastric Phase - "Go for it"
3. Intestinal Phase - "Slow down"
MOVEMENT IN THE STOMACH
• Mixing waves - relatively weak contractions, which
thoroughly mix ongested food with stomach secretions to
form chyme

• Peristaltic Waves - stronger contractions, which force the

chyme toward and through pyloric sphincter
SMALL
INTESTINE
SMALL INTESTINE
•

about 6 meters long

major site for digestion of foods and absorption of nutrients

3 parts of small intestine

1. Duodenum
- about 25 cm long
- nearly completes a 180- degree arc as it curves withiin
abdominal cavity

Common Bile Duct- from liver

Pancreatic Duct- from the pancreas

2. Jejunum
- about 2.5 m long
• 3. Ileum
- about 3.5 m long
- Peyer patches

Ileolocal junction- connects the ileum to the large

intestine

Ileolocal sphincter and Ileolocal valve

- allow the intestinal contents to move from the ileum
to the large intestine, but not in the opposite direction

3 Modifications surface area about 600 folds

1. Circular folds
2. Villi
3. Microvilli
4 Major Cell Types of Small Intestine
1. Absorptive cells - have microvilli, produce digestive enzymes and absorb
digested foods

2. Goblet cells- which produces a protective mucus

3. Granular Cells- protect the intestinal epithelium from bacteria

4. Endocrince cells- produce regulatory hormone

Intestinal glands
- Crypts of Lieberkuhn
- where epithelial cells are located

Duodenal glands
- open into the base of the intestinal glands
SECRETIONS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE
Peptidases
- digest proteins
- break the peptide bonds in proteins to form amino acids

Disaccharides
- digest small sugars
- break down disaccharides such as maltose, into monosaccharides such as
glucose

MOVEMENT IN THE SMALL INTESTINE

Peristaltic Contractions
- cause the chyme to move along the small intestine

Segmental Contractions
- mix intestinal contents