Gastric pits

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Gastric pits
Illu stomach layers.jpg
Details
Identifiers
Latin foveolae gastricae
TA98 A05.5.01.032
TA2 2918
FMA 76583
Anatomical terminology

Gastric pits are indentations in the stomach which denote entrances to 3-5 [1] [2] tubular shaped gastric glands. They are deeper in the pylorus than they are in the other parts of the stomach. The human stomach has several million of these pits which dot the surface of the lining epithelium. Surface mucous cells line the pits themselves but give way to a series of other types of cells which then line the glands themselves.

Contents

Gastric acid

Gastric acid also known as gastric juice is secreted from gastric glands, which are located in gastric pits. Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid, pepsinogen and mucus in a healthy adult. Hydrochloric acid is secreted by parietal cells, pepsinogen is secreted by gastric chief cells and mucus is secreted by mucus neck cells. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stomach</span> Digestive organ

The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach is involved in the gastric phase of digestion, following chewing. It performs a chemical breakdown by means of enzymes and hydrochloric acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exocrine gland</span> Gland that secretes substances onto an epithelial surface by way of a duct

Exocrine glands are glands that secrete substances on to an epithelial surface by way of a duct. Examples of exocrine glands include sweat, salivary, mammary, ceruminous, lacrimal, sebaceous, prostate and mucous. Exocrine glands are one of two types of glands in the human body, the other being endocrine glands, which secrete their products directly into the bloodstream. The liver and pancreas are both exocrine and endocrine glands; they are exocrine glands because they secrete products—bile and pancreatic juice—into the gastrointestinal tract through a series of ducts, and endocrine because they secrete other substances directly into the bloodstream. Exocrine sweat glands are part of the integumentary system; they have eccrine and apocrine types.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digestion</span> Biological process of breaking down food

Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food molecules into small water-soluble food molecules so that they can be absorbed into the watery blood plasma. In certain organisms, these smaller substances are absorbed through the small intestine into the blood stream. Digestion is a form of catabolism that is often divided into two processes based on how food is broken down: mechanical and chemical digestion. The term mechanical digestion refers to the physical breakdown of large pieces of food into smaller pieces which can subsequently be accessed by digestive enzymes. Mechanical digestion takes place in the mouth through mastication and in the small intestine through segmentation contractions. In chemical digestion, enzymes break down food into the small molecules the body can use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pylorus</span> Part of the stomach that connects to the duodenum

The pylorus, or pyloric part, connects the stomach to the duodenum. The pylorus is considered as having two parts, the pyloric antrum and the pyloric canal. The pyloric canal ends as the pyloric orifice, which marks the junction between the stomach and the duodenum. The orifice is surrounded by a sphincter, a band of muscle, called the pyloric sphincter. The word pylorus comes from Greek πυλωρός, via Latin. The word pylorus in Greek means "gatekeeper", related to "gate" and is thus linguistically related to the word "pylon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastric acid</span> Digestive fluid formed in the stomach

Gastric acid, gastric juice, or stomach acid is a digestive fluid formed within the stomach lining. With a pH between 1 and 3, gastric acid plays a key role in digestion of proteins by activating digestive enzymes, which together break down the long chains of amino acids of proteins. Gastric acid is regulated in feedback systems to increase production when needed, such as after a meal. Other cells in the stomach produce bicarbonate, a base, to buffer the fluid, ensuring a regulated pH. These cells also produce mucus – a viscous barrier to prevent gastric acid from damaging the stomach. The pancreas further produces large amounts of bicarbonate and secretes bicarbonate through the pancreatic duct to the duodenum to neutralize gastric acid passing into the digestive tract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parietal cell</span> Epithelial cell in the stomach

Parietal cells (also known as oxyntic cells) are epithelial cells in the stomach that secrete hydrochloric acid (HCl) and intrinsic factor. These cells are located in the gastric glands found in the lining of the fundus and body regions of the stomach. They contain an extensive secretory network of canaliculi from which the HCl is secreted by active transport into the stomach. The enzyme hydrogen potassium ATPase (H+/K+ ATPase) is unique to the parietal cells and transports the H+ against a concentration gradient of about 3 million to 1, which is the steepest ion gradient formed in the human body. Parietal cells are primarily regulated via histamine, acetylcholine and gastrin signalling from both central and local modulators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunner's glands</span> Duodenal submucosal cells secreting bicarbonate-rich mucus

Brunner's glands are compound tubular submucosal glands found in that portion of the duodenum which is above the hepatopancreatic sphincter. It also contains submucosa which creates special glands. The main function of these glands is to produce a mucus-rich alkaline secretion i.e. mucous in order to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digestive enzyme</span> Class of enzymes

Digestive enzymes are a group of enzymes that break down polymeric macromolecules into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption into the cells of the body. Digestive enzymes are found in the digestive tracts of animals and in the tracts of carnivorous plants, where they aid in the digestion of food, as well as inside cells, especially in their lysosomes, where they function to maintain cellular survival. Digestive enzymes of diverse specificities are found in the saliva secreted by the salivary glands, in the secretions of cells lining the stomach, in the pancreatic juice secreted by pancreatic exocrine cells, and in the secretions of cells lining the small and large intestines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enterochromaffin-like cell</span>

Enterochromaffin-like cells or ECL cells are a type of neuroendocrine cell found in the gastric glands of the gastric mucosa beneath the epithelium, in particular in the vicinity of parietal cells, that aid in the production of gastric acid via the release of histamine. They are also considered a type of enteroendocrine cell.

In human anatomy, there are three types of chief cells, the gastric chief cell, the parathyroid chief cell, and the type 1 chief cells found in the carotid body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intestinal gland</span> Gland between the intestinal villi that produces new cells

In histology, an intestinal gland is a gland found in between villi in the intestinal epithelium lining of the small intestine and large intestine. The glands and intestinal villi are covered by epithelium, which contains multiple types of cells: enterocytes, goblet cells, enteroendocrine cells, cup cells, tuft cells, and at the base of the gland, Paneth cells and stem cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastric glands</span> Glands in lining of the human stomach

The gastric glands are glands in the lining of the stomach that play an essential role in the process of digestion. All of the glands have mucus-secreting foveolar cells. Mucus lines the entire stomach, and protects the stomach lining from the effects of hydrochloric acid released from other cells in the glands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esophageal gland</span>

The esophageal glands are glands that are part of the digestive system of various animals, including humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastric chief cell</span> Type of gastric gland cell

A gastric chief cell is a type of gastric gland cell that releases pepsinogen and gastric lipase. It is the cell responsible for secretion of chymosin in ruminant animals. The cell stains basophilic upon H&E staining due to the large proportion of rough endoplasmic reticulum in its cytoplasm. Gastric chief cells are generally located deep in the mucosal layer of the stomach lining, in the fundus and body of the stomach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastric mucosa</span>

The gastric mucosa is the mucous membrane layer of the stomach, which contains the glands and the gastric pits. In humans, it is about 1 mm thick, and its surface is smooth, soft, and velvety. It consists of simple columnar epithelium, lamina propria, and the muscularis mucosae.

Gastrointestinal physiology is the branch of human physiology that addresses the physical function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The function of the GI tract is to process ingested food by mechanical and chemical means, extract nutrients and excrete waste products. The GI tract is composed of the alimentary canal, that runs from the mouth to the anus, as well as the associated glands, chemicals, hormones, and enzymes that assist in digestion. The major processes that occur in the GI tract are: motility, secretion, regulation, digestion and circulation. The proper function and coordination of these processes are vital for maintaining good health by providing for the effective digestion and uptake of nutrients.

The proventriculus is part of the digestive system of birds. An analogous organ exists in invertebrates and insects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foveolar cell</span> Mucus-producing cells in stomach lining protective against gastric acid

Foveolar cells or surface mucouscells are mucus-producing cells which cover the inside of the stomach, protecting it from the corrosive nature of gastric acid. These cells line the gastric mucosa. The mucus-secreting cells of the stomach can be distinguished histologically from the intestinal goblet cells, another type of mucus-secreting cell.

The nervous system, and endocrine system collaborate in the digestive system to control gastric secretions, and motility associated with the movement of food throughout the gastrointestinal tract, including peristalsis, and segmentation contractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human digestive system</span> Digestive system in humans

The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion. Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller components, until they can be absorbed and assimilated into the body. The process of digestion has three stages: the cephalic phase, the gastric phase, and the intestinal phase.

References

PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. "gastric pits, that each open into four or five gastric glands", Quantitative Human Physiology 2E, 2017, Joseph Feher
  2. "Secretions from several gastric glands flow into each gastric pit" Principals of Anatomy & Physiology 15th Ed 2017, Gerard Tortora & Bryan Derrickson
  3. "Britannica Online Encyclopedia - Gastric Pits" . Retrieved 2009-04-13.