Stomach in situ
Learning objectives
This study unit will help you to:
- Identify the main parts of the stomach and the landmarks which define their boundaries.
- Name the main functions of the stomach.
- 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
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Explore parts of the stomach one by one in this atlas gallery.
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/esophagus-10/jytVqikTkgwmTAzl5FlCQ_Oesophagus.png "Esophagus (Oesophagus); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/fundus-gastricus/nAYY2eI1kC6tHJIFCcEpg_Fundus_gastricus.png "Fundus of stomach (Fundus gastris); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/corpus-gastricum/k3FtxTwQZT4UWIr9XdFAg_Corpus_gastricum.png "Body of stomach (Corpus gastris); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/pars-cardiaca-gastricae/WWVHfy8DBvNDYtnsh2dw_Cardia.png "Cardia of stomach (Cardia gastris); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/curvatura-gastrica-minor/HSH54ZKqlV9bA0vA0jAhA_Curvatura_gastrica_minor.png "Lesser curvature of stomach (Curvatura minor gastris); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/curvatura-gastrica-major/414VO6ZYPX3zfcKZlySR3g_Curvatura_gastrica_major.png "Greater curvature of stomach (Curvatura major gastris); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/pars-pylorica-ventriculi-2/dXnO9nTRvxJJsL7n2xKpZQ_Pars_pylorica_ventriculi.png "Pyloric part of stomach (Pars pylorica gastris); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/pylorus/BXKVH8cYoZ0ybnrFTfgNg_Pylorus.png "Pylorus; Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/duodenum/myPj7MnHPm6gCh8WX4Py4w_Duodenum.png "Duodenum; Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/lobus-hepatis-sinister-2/kBpDRrJWj7uC9trcnva60g_Lobus_hepatis_sinister.png "Left lobe of liver (Lobus sinister hepatis); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/falciform-ligament/aYRMoIdrq7j8PeVYk3K8xA_Falciform_ligament_of_liver_magnified.png "Falciform ligament of liver (Ligamentum falciforme hepatis); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/ligamentum-teres-hepatis-2/wtLxm02iq5Z4fuhXIe9A_Round_ligament_of_liver_magnified.png "Round ligament of liver (Ligamentum teres hepatis); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/lobus-hepatis-dexter-2/76UlktMEnOXME3OPYldqNg_Lobus_hepatis_dexter.png "Right lobe of liver (Lobus dexter hepatis); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/vesica-biliaris-2/wYR6s3jbxMrbnKYSMTSvpA_Vesica_biliaris.png "Gallbladder (Vesica biliaris); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/omentum-minus/N9XnJBK8ZEXiTvDXO4zHiA_Omentum_minus.png "Lesser omentum (Omentum minus); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/omental-foramen/huRyQD8aj18GzJy1UnwIbQ_Foramen_omentale_magnified.png "Omental foramen (Foramen omentale); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/right-kidney-2/OB8y2S9fHCCtsrGSE7PpFQ_Right_kidney_magnified.png "Right kidney (Ren dexter); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/colon-transversum-3/9aGQVTipIe16MI6vTpwPg_Colon_transversum.png "Transverse colon (Colon transversum); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/colon-ascendens/cPJuvYEXMBmNDbx2xxKFzg_Colon_ascendens.png "Ascending colon (Colon ascendens); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/omentum-majus-2/XD0dHwltqkgfjWeXJ63Zw_Omentum_majus.png "Greater omentum (Omentum majus); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/splen-lien-2/3lwG2RqoCuPfanjoWwHA_spleen_magnified.png "Spleen (Splen); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/diaphragma-5/w5pIMzvuBTMfdmtzwTyg_Diaphragm_magnified.png "Diaphragm (Diaphragma); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/peritoneum-parietale-2/4ds9ckI55ksCTaIzH14wsg_Peritoneum_parietale.png "Parietal peritoneum (Peritoneum parietale); Image: Irina Münstermann"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/paries-posterior-gastris/SYFtn4sKpGC4oRdP9viKg_Paries_posterior_gastris_1.png "Posterior wall of stomach (Paries posterior gastris); Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/bursa-omentalis/ljG3h9fxpEIxfdF8BKfzzw_Bursa_omentalis_1.png "Omental bursa (Bursa omentalis); Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/colon-transversum-7/0iMyBO7991ueyi1LaiASIA_Colon_transversum_1.png "Transverse colon (Colon transversum); Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/mesocolon-transversum-5/fqnBTa9iyZgGb2jBgbPbQ_Mesocolon_transversum_1.png "Transverse mesocolon (Mesocolon transversum); Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/pancreas-5/0bHgQITaVekWbBhrVugMjA_Pancreas_1.png "Pancreas; Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/ren-sinister-4/GtBa04sbssBeZ2tOK7OwQ_Ren_sinister_1.png "Left kidney (Ren sinister); Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/glandula-suprarenalis-sinistra-3/NLKE5VU8tvxezxkLg7D0pg_Glandula_suprarenalis_sinistra_1.png "Left suprarenal gland (Glandula suprarenalis sinistra); Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/arteria-splenica-9/84Xtl8CzpZA4iLNpFgpmQ_Arteria_lienalis_1.png "Splenic artery (Arteria splenica); Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
:watermark(/images/watermark_only.png,0,0,0):watermark(/images/logo_url.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/splen-lien-3/l49YqyjBjTbac7hI3RZHLw_Lien_1.png "Spleen (Splen); Image: Esther Gollan"){kind=logo}
Summary
| 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 |
Well done!
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