Stomach

The stomach is the most important organ of the human body. According to biological definition, the stomach is a J-shaped, thick-walled organ located in the human body’s digestive system. It is a vital organ that stores undigested food and facilitates digestion by releasing various enzymes. This article talks about the stomach, its functions, stomach diseases and more.

Stomach 

The stomach is a macular organ consisting of a hole where all the chewed food is stored. It is located in the gastrointestinal tract of the human body. The secondary phase of digestion occurs in the stomach, where enzymes and hydrochloric acid break down complex food components into simpler compounds. However, facilitating digestion is the secondary function of the stomach. Its primary function is to store chewed food.

Structure of the stomach 

The stomach is a J-shaped, thick-walled organ located between the oesophagus and small intestine. It consists of a dilated structure with four major parts. They are:

• Fundus 
• Body 
• Antrum 
• Pylorus 

Fundus:

The Fundus is the main opening of the stomach. It is also called a cardiac region. It is the region where the oesophagus terminates. The chewed food from the oesophagus first enters this region and is stored in the stomach. The function of Fundus is to churn and mix the chewed food. It consists of a dome-like shape. It is located near the diaphragm and left to the Cardiac. 

Body:

After the Fundus, the body of the stomach comes, which is the major part of the whole stomach. It is the storehouse of the stomach, where all the chewed food is stored. Along with this, all the actions of enzymes take place in the body of the stomach. 

Antrum: 

The antrum is also called a Pylorus Antrum. The main function of the antrum is to retain the food in the stomach for a longer time. The Pylorus is used to describe the termination part of the stomach. It is the finishing point of the stomach, from where the food merges into the small intestine. It firstly sends food to the duodenum part of the stomach, and then food slightly moves to the small intestine for further digestion. 

Pylorus 

It is the closing of the Stomach. From this part, the food enters the small intestine. 

Functioning of Stomach 

The main function of the stomach is to store the chewed food. Along with this, it performs various other functions, like:

• Digestion 
• Absorption 
• Control of secretion and motility

Digestion: 

In the digestive tract, the food enters the stomach from the oesophagus with the help of the lower esophageal sphincter. When the food reaches the stomach, it releases proteases (enzymes that help digest the proteins, such as pepsin) and hydrochloric acid. The proteases break down the complex proteins into simpler substances. 

Hydrochloric acid kills all the bacteria in the food and maintains the PH level of food up to 2 so that the enzymes can perform their actions smoothly. When the enzymes perform all their actions, the bolus converts into the Chyme, the half-digested food. This half-digested food is then delivered to the duodenum through the pyloric sphincter. Then, the food reaches the small intestine, where the absorption of nutrients occurs. 

Absorption 

The small intestine mainly does the absorption of food, but some of it is also done by the stomach. The lining of the stomach facilitates the absorption of food. The stomach performs absorption only in certain conditions like:

• It absorbs water if the body of any organism is dehydrated. 
• It also absorbs some specific medicines like aspirin. 
• It also absorbs amino acids. 
• It also absorbs the less complex vitamins, which can dissolve in water easily. 

Control of secretion and motility 

The stomach’s autonomic nervous system regulates the working of chemicals and enzymes. Other digestive hormones also play a major role in their regulation. Hormones like Gastrin, Cholecystokinin, secretin, Enteroglucagon facilitate the stomach’s motility. 

Stomach knot meaning

Let’s understand the meaning of the stomach knot.

A stomach knot is a sensation in which the stomach muscles feel very tight and stiff. It only remains for a shorter period. The pain in this sensation is similar to the pain that occurs during abdominal bloating. It is also a symptom of nervousness. In stomach knotting, the individual feels an unpleasant tightening in the stomach, which usually describes his nervousness before attempting any task. 

Stomach diseases 

Some diseases related to the stomach:

• Gastritis 
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Conclusion

The stomach is the most important organ of the human body, where digestion starts its second stage. It helps break the complex compounds into simpler compounds so that our bodies can absorb them easily. The structure of the Stomach contains four major parts. These are Fundus, Body, Antrum and Pylorus. All these parts perform different roles in performing digestion of food. It also absorbs water, medicines, and many more and passes them into the bloodstream. Blood knotting is a type of sensation in the stomach due to nervousness. Some diseases like Gastritis, Gastroesophageal reflux are stomach diseases.