Module 3: The gastrointestinal system

After swallowing, the bolus of food enters the esophagus, and is propelled by
peristalsis to the stomach - a sac-like organ made up of four main regions: the
cardia, the fundus, the body, and the pylorus. Its primary functions are to store
ingested food and continue both mechanical and chemical digestion (commenced
in the mouth). Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is secreted by the stomach's parietal cells
resulting in quite acidic environment (usually pH < 2.0). However the mucosa of the
stomach contains a variety of secretory cells, including mucous producing cells
which secrete mucus that protects the stomach lining from the corrosive action of
acids. Other chief cells secrete the stomach's main digestive enzyme in an inactive
form, pepsinogen that is converted to pepsin by acid conditions. Pepsin breaks
down proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids. The stomach grinds, partially
digests, and mixes food particles resulting in chyme, Eventually chyme is propelled
through the pyloric sphincter into the duodenum.

Learning objectives

By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Describe the functions of the stomach.

Describe the various cells in the stomach and their secretions.

Explain the mechanical and chemical digestion that occurs within the stomach.

Describe the key phases of gastric secretion.

How does the stomach function?

The stomach is a sac-like organ connected to the oesophagus, near the top of the
stomach, and to the duodenum, at the bottom of the stomach. Hence, the stomach
has two openings; one at the oesophageal end and one at the duodenal end.

The main
functions of the
stomach are:

Temporarily
holding food

Partially
digesting
food into
chyme, which
exits the
stomach into
the small intestine

Denaturing proteins by secreting HCl (strong acid) and digesting proteins via pepsin
enzyme

Secretion of intrinsic factor to promote B12 absorption

The stomach contains many glands responsible for secreting gastric juices involved
in digestion. The stomach can stretch to fit more food into it because the lining is
made from structures called Rugae. There are many different cells within stomach
glands that produce various hormones and enzymes.

Image source: Illustration of the stomach, by Axel Kock, Adobe Stock, modified.

Watch the video below to gain further insight into the stomach.

The Stomach
Start of transcript. Skip to the
end.

 We'll begin by orientating

ourselves to the stomach.

- so the J-shape, hollow organ

that sits between the
oesophagus and the duodenum.

Its main function within our

bodies is to mechanically and
chemically digest the food we
 0:00 / 8:41  1.0x     consume.

So therefore, anatomical regions

Transcripts
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The gastric mucosa

The glands in the stomach contain a number of cell types, and their distribution
varies somewhat between the different regions of the stomach.

The various gastric mucosa cells types are:

Parietal cells

most numerous cell type,

located mainly in fundus and
body (corpus)

secrete hydrochloric acid -

'gastric acid' (which denatures
proteins and involved in
activating some enzymes)

Chief cells

located mainly in fundus and

body (corpus)

secrete pepsinogen - inactive

zymogen of pepsin, the enzyme
that breaks down proteins

secrete rennin - enzyme that

curdles milk by breaking down proteins such as casein in milk

G cells:

located throughout the stomach, high density in atrum

secrete gastrin - peptide hormone

promotes contractions of the stomach muscles to churn food and initiates secretion
of HCl and pepsinogen.

Mucous secreting cells (foveoar cells)

located throughout the stomach

secrete alkaline mucus

Enterochromaffin-like cells (ECF cells)

located in body and fundus - close to parietal cells

secrete histamine, to stimulate parietal cells

Image source: Stomach sections, by artinspiring, Adobe Stock, modified.

It is important to note that gastric secretion is controlled by the extrinsic

central nervous system, intrinsic simulation and local factors, such as pH
or osmolarity. These gastric secretions breakdown food further into smaller
particles within the chyme, which moves from the stomach into the small
intestine. We shall re-examine the control of gastric secretion in the last unit
of this module when we discuss further GI hormones.