Gastric glands

The gastric glands are glands in the lining

of the stomach that play an essential role
in the process of digestion. All of the
glands have mucus-secreting foveolar
cells. Mucus lines the entire stomach, and
protects the stomach lining from the
effects of hydrochloric acid released from
other cells in the glands.[1]
 Gastric glands

Gastric glands shown at c and their ducts at d

Details

Identifiers

Latin glandulae gastricae

Anatomical terminology

There are two types of gland in the

stomach, the oxyntic gland, and the
pyloric gland. The major type of gastric
gland is the oxyntic gland that is present in
80 per cent of the stomach, and is often
referred to simply as the gastric gland. The
oxyntic gland is an exocrine gland and
contains the parietal cells that produce
hydrochloric acid, and intrinsic factor.
Intrinsic factor is necessary for the
absorption of vitamin B12.[1]

The other type of gland in the stomach is

the pyloric gland found in the pyloric
region taking up the remaining 20 per cent
of the stomach area. The pyloric gland
secretes gastrin from its G cells. Pyloric
glands are similar in structure to the
oxyntic glands but are endocrine glands
with hardly any parietal cells.[1]

Types of gland
The gastric glands are glands in the lining
of the stomach that play an essential role
in the process of digestion. All of the
glands have mucus-secreting foveolar
cells. Mucus lines the entire stomach of
protects the stomach lining from the
effects of hydrochloric acid released from
other cells in the glands.
 Histology of normal fundic mucosa.
Fundic glands are simple, branched
tubular glands that extend from the
bottom of the gastric pits to the
muscularis mucosa; the more
distinctive cells are parietal cells. H&E
stain.

Histology of normal antral mucosa.

Antral mucosa is formed by branched
coiled tubular glands lined by
secretory cells similar in appearance
to the surface mucus cells. H&E stain.

Gastric glands are mostly exocrine

glands[2] and are all located beneath the
gastric pits within the gastric mucosa—the
mucous membrane of the stomach. The
gastric mucosa is pitted with innumerable
gastric pits which each house 3-5 gastric
glands.[3][4] The cells of the exocrine
glands are foveolar (mucus), chief cells,
and parietal cells. The other type of gastric
gland is the pyloric gland which is an
endocrine gland that secretes the
hormone gastrin produced by its G cells.

The cardiac glands are found in the cardia

of the stomach which is the part nearest to
the heart, enclosing the opening where the
esophagus joins to the stomach. Only
cardiac glands are found here and they
primarily secrete mucus.[5] They are fewer
in number than the other gastric glands
and are more shallowly positioned in the
mucosa. There are two kinds - either
simple tubular with short ducts or
compound racemose resembling the
duodenal Brunner's glands.

The fundic glands (or oxyntic glands), are

found in the fundus and body of the
stomach. They are simple almost straight
tubes, two or more of which open into a
single duct. Oxyntic means acid-secreting
and they secrete hydrochloric acid (HCl)
and intrinsic factor.[5]

The pyloric glands are located in the

antrum of the pylorus. They secrete
gastrin produced by their G cells.[6]
 Layer of Region of
Name Secretion Staining Image
stomach stomach

Fundic,
Isthmus
Foveolar cells Mucus gel layer cardiac, Clear
of gland
pyloric

Fundus
Parietal Body of
Gastric acid and intrinsic factor and Acidophilic
(oxyntic) cells gland
body[7]

Chief Fundus
Base of
(zymogenic) Pepsinogen and gastric lipase and Basophilic
gland [7]
cells body

Hormones gastrin, histamine, Fundic,

Enteroendocrine Base of
endorphins, serotonin, cardiac, –
(APUD) cells gland
cholecystokinin and somatostatin pyloric

Types of cell
 Transverse section of fundic gland

Diagram depicting the major determinants of gastric acid secretion

There are millions of gastric pits in the
gastric mucosa and their necessary
narrowness determines the tubular form
of the gastric gland. More than one tube
allows for the accommodation of more
than one cell type. The form of each
gastric gland is similar; they are all
described as having a neck region that is
closest to the pit entrance, and basal
regions on the lower parts of the tubes.[8]
The epithelium from the gastric mucosa
travels into the pit and at the neck the
epithelial cells change to short columnar
granular cells. These cells almost fill the
tube and the remaining lumen is continued
as a very fine channel.
Cells found in the gastric glands include
foveolar cells, chief cells, parietal cells, G
cells, enterochromaffin-like cells (ECLs),
etc. The first cells of all of the glands are
foveolar cells in the neck region–also
called mucous neck cells that produce
mucus. This is thought to be different from
the mucus produced by the gastric
mucosa.

Fundic glands found in the fundus and

also in the body have another two cell
types–gastric chief cells and parietal cells
(oxyntic cells).
Surface mucous cell (foveolar cell) –
They are mucous producing cells which
cover the inside of the stomach,
protecting it from the corrosive nature of
gastric acid. These cells line the gastric
mucosa.
Mucous neck cell – Mucous neck cells
are located within gastric glands,
interspersed between parietal cells.
These are shorter than their surface
counterpart and contain lesser
quantities of mucin granules in their
apical surface.
Chief cells (zymogen cells/peptic cells)
– They are found in the basal regions of
the gland and release proenzymes or
zymogens – pepsinogen (precursor to
pepsin), and prorennin (precursor to
rennin or chymosin).[9] Prorennin is
secreted in young mammals (childhood
stage). It is not secreted in adult
mammals. Chief cells also produce
small amounts of gastric lipase. Gastric
lipase contributes little to digestion of
fat.
Parietal cells ("parietal" means "relating
to a wall"), also known as oxyntic cells
are most numerous on the side walls of
the gastric glands. The parietal cells
secrete hydrochloric acid, the main
component of gastric acid. This needs
to be readily available for the stomach in
a plentiful supply, and so from their
positions in the walls, their secretory
networks of fine channels called
canaliculi can project and ingress into
all the regions of the gastric-pit lumen.
Another important secretion of the
parietal cells is castle's intrinsic factor.
Intrinsic factor is a glycoprotein
essential for the absorption of vitamin
B12. The parietal cells also produce and
release bicarbonate ions in response to
histamine release from the nearby ECLs,
and so serve a crucial role in the pH
buffering system.[10]
Enteroendocrine cells or argentaffin
cells – They are usually present in the
basal parts of the gastric glands, which
is differentiated into three cell types –
enterochromaffin like cells (ECL cells),
G-cells, and D-cells.
Enterochromaffin like cells (ECL
cells) – They release serotonin and
histamine. These cells store and
release histamine when the pH of
the stomach becomes too high. The
release of histamine is stimulated
by the secretion of gastrin from the
G cells.[1] Histamine promotes the
production and release of HCL from
the parietal cells to the blood and
protons to the stomach lumen.
When the stomach pH decreases
(becomes more acidic), the ECLs
stop releasing histamine.
G cells – They secrete gastrin
hormone. Gastrin stimulates the
gastric glands to release gastric
juice. These cells are mostly found
in pyloric glands in the antrum of
the pylorus; some are found in the
duodenum and other tissues. The
gastric pits of these glands are
much deeper than the others and
here the gastrin is secreted into the
bloodstream not the lumen.[11]
 D-cells – D-cells secrete
somatostatin. Somatostatin
suppresses the release of
hormones from the digestive tract.

Clinical significance
Fundic gland polyposis is a medical
syndrome where the fundus and the body
of the stomach develop many fundic gland
polyps.

Pernicious anemia is caused when

damaged parietal cells fail to produce the
intrinsic factor necessary for the
absorption of vitamin B12. This is the
most common cause of vitamin B12
deficiency.

Additional images
Layers of stomach wall

Gastric acid regulation

Human cardiac glands (at cardia)

Human pyloric glands (at pylorus)

Human fundic glands (at fundus)

See also
List of distinct cell types in the adult
human body

References
1. Hall, John E. (2011). Guyton and Hall
textbook of medical physiology
 (Twelfth ed.). Philadelphia, Pa. pp. 777–
780. ISBN 9781416045748.
2. "Stomach | SEER Training" (https://training.
seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/digestive/region
s/stomach.html) . training.seer.cancer.gov.
3. "gastric pits, that each open into four or
five gastric glands", Quantitative Human
Physiology 2E, 2017, Joseph Feher
4. "Secretions from several gastric glands
flow into each gastric pit" Principals of
Anatomy & Physiology 15th Ed 2017,
Gerard Tortora & Bryan Derrickson
5. Dorland's (2012). Dorland's Illustrated
Medical Dictionary (32nd ed.). Elsevier.
p. 777. ISBN 978-1-4160-6257-8.
6. Dorland's (2012). Dorland's Illustrated
Medical Dictionary (32nd ed.). Elsevier.
p. 762. ISBN 978-1-4160-6257-8.
7. Kelsey E. McHugh, M.D., Thomas P. Plesec,
M.D. "Stomach - General - Histology" (http
s://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/sto
machnormalhistology.html) .
PathologyOutlines. Topic Completed: 28
May 2020. Minor changes: 28 December
2020
8. Pocock, Gillian (2006). Human Physiology
(3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 388.
ISBN 978-0-19-856878-0.
 9. Khan, AR; James, MN (April 1998).
"Molecular mechanisms for the conversion
of zymogens to active proteolytic
enzymes" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p
mc/articles/PMC2143990) . Protein
Science. 7 (4): 815–36.
doi:10.1002/pro.5560070401 (https://doi.o
rg/10.1002%2Fpro.5560070401) .
PMC 2143990 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.g
ov/pmc/articles/PMC2143990) .
PMID 9568890 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.ni
h.gov/9568890) .
10. "Clinical correlates of pH levels:
bicarbonate as a buffer" (http://www.biolog
y.arizona.edu/biochemistry/problem_sets/
medph/intro.html) . Biology.arizona.edu.
October 2006.
 11. "Basic organization of the gastrointestinal
tract" (http://medcell.med.yale.edu/histolo
gy/gi_tract_lab.php) . Retrieved 15 May
2015.

This article incorporates text in the public

domain from the 20th edition of Gray's
Anatomy (1918)

External links
Histology image: 50_02 (http://www.ouh
sc.edu/histology/Glass%20slides/50_0
2.jpg) at the University of Oklahoma
Health Sciences Center - "Fundic
stomach"
Anatomy photo:
Digestive/mammal/stomach4/stomach
2 (https://web.archive.org/web/200810
20010317/http://trc.ucdavis.edu/mjguin
an/apc100/modules/Digestive/mamma
l/stomach4/stomach2.html) -
Comparative Organology at University of
California, Davis - "Mammal, ruminant
stomach (LM, High)"
Histology image: 11301ooa (https://ww
w.bu.edu/phpbin/medlib/histology/p/11
301ooa.htm) – Histology Learning
System at Boston University - "Digestive
System: Alimentary Canal - fundic
stomach"
Veterinary Histology at vt.edu (https://w
eb.archive.org/web/20060505225038/h
ttp://education.vetmed.vt.edu/Curriculu
m/VM8054/Labs/Lab18/EXAMPLES/Ex
fndgld.htm)
MedEd at Loyola
Histo/frames/Histo18.html (http://www.
meddean.luc.edu/Lumen/MedEd/Histo/f
rames/Histo18.html) - see slide #42
Histology image: 100_04 (http://www.ou
hsc.edu/histology/Glass%20slides/100_
04.jpg) at the University of Oklahoma
Health Sciences Center - "Esophageal-
stomach junction"
 Histology image: 11103loa (https://ww
w.bu.edu/phpbin/medlib/histology/p/11
103loa.htm) – Histology Learning
System at Boston University - "Digestive
System: Alimentary Canal:
esophageal/stomach junction"

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