Biology · Ch 14 — Human Nutrition
Stomach
14.1.6
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, sac-like, 'J'-shaped organ located in the upper left part of the abdominal cavity, about 25-30 cm long. It is divided into an upper cardiac region and a lower pyloric region, and is further described in four parts:
- Cardia (Cardiac): the first part, where the oesophagus opens into the stomach. It surrounds a band of circular muscle at the oesophagus-stomach junction called the cardiac sphincter, which prevents food from flowing backward (regurgitating) from the stomach into the oesophagus.
- Fundus: the dome-shaped region above and to the left of the cardia.
- Body: the large central portion of the stomach, where most of the food is stored. …
Figure 14.2Stomach — External Regions
What this figure shows. An external view of the J-shaped stomach connected above to the oesophagus at the gastro-oesophageal junction, labelling the dome-shaped fundus at the upper left, the cardia at the top where the oesophagus enters, the large curved body forming the bulk of the organ (its outer edge labelled greater curvature and its inner shorter edge labelled lesser curvature), and the narrower pylorus at the lower r …