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Stomach in situ

Learning objectives

This study unit will help you to:

  1. Identify the main parts of the stomach and the landmarks which define their boundaries.
  2. Name the main functions of the stomach.
  3. Master the relations of the stomach with other organs of the abdominal cavity.

Watch videos

The stomach is a hollow muscular organ and the most dilated portion of the gastrointestinal tract. It is located on the left upper quadrant of the abdomen between the esophagus and duodenum.

The stomach consists of four main parts:

  • the cardia surrounds the opening between the esophagus and the stomach (cardial orifice),
  • the fundus is the part of the stomach to the left and above the level of the cardial orifice of the stomach,
  • the body of the stomach is the largest part of the organ,
  • the pyloric part represents the outflow section of the stomach, through which chyme is passed into the duodenum.

The main function of the stomach involves the mechanical and chemical digestion of ingested food. This video tutorial will provide you with an overview of the stomach in situ.

Take a quiz

Identify the structures in the video with the identification questions, or really get stuck in with our exam questions.

Do you have more knowledge about the stomach that we didn't cover in the previous quiz? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Take our custom quiz about the abdominal cavity and choose topics or individual terms that you want to be tested on.

Browse atlas

Explore parts of the stomach one by one in this atlas gallery.

Summary

Key points about the stomach and its relations
Definition The stomach is a hollow muscular organ of the digestive system, specialized in the mechanical and chemical digestion of food.
Main parts Cardia, fundus, body, pyloric part
Relations Anterior: Diaphragm, left lobe of liver, and anterior abdominal wall
Posterior
: Omental bursa (lesser sac), pancreas, left kidney and suprarenal gland, splenic artery and spleen
Superior
: Esophagus and diaphragm
Inferior
: Transverse colon/mesocolon, greater omentum
Functions Mechanical and chemical digestion (of proteins and fats especially), absorption, hormone secretion

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