01 / Location & anatomical relationships
In the upper abdomen, mostly on your left, below the diaphragm.
02 / Structure & organization
The stomach includes cardia, fundus, body and pyloric region. Its mucosal glands contain several cell types, including acid-secreting parietal cells and enzyme-precursor-secreting chief cells. Multiple muscle layers support mixing.
03 / Function
Its muscles churn food before it moves into the small intestine.
04 / Mechanism
Muscle layers squeeze and mix a meal with acid and enzymes, beginning much of protein digestion. A protective lining helps shield the stomach wall. Food leaves gradually through the pylorus as a soft mixture called chyme, entering the small intestine.
Working together: digestive system
Teeth break food into pieces, the stomach mixes it, and the small intestine absorbs nutrients. Your blood then carries these nutrients around your body.
Meet this body system →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
A mucus-bicarbonate barrier helps protect the lining. Emptying into the duodenum is regulated, linking stomach activity to conditions in the small intestine.
Check your understanding
Locate the stomach in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Further reading: NIDDK: Your Digestive System & How It Works.
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.