What is Stomach: Definition and 18 Discussions

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 digestive organ. In the digestive system the stomach is involved in the second phase of digestion, following chewing. It performs a chemical breakdown by means of enzymes and hydrochloric acid.
In humans and many other animals, the stomach is located between the oesophagus and the small intestine. It secretes digestive enzymes and gastric acid to aid in food digestion. The pyloric sphincter controls the passage of partially digested food (chyme) from the stomach into the duodenum, where peristalsis takes over to move this through the rest of the intestines.

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  1. A

    Alka seltzer in water question

    Hi everyone. I was testing the pH of water that had alka seltzer placed in it. I used Bromothymol blue indicator to see the pH. The color changed to yellow, which suggests that the water was now acidic. I assume this is because of the CO2 bubbles that form which can acidify the H2O. Am I...
  2. mktsgm

    Medical Cause of Gastric reflux disease

    People generally associate Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with excessive production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. We know that HCL is essential for proper digestion. In acid reflux the acid comes up the esophagus from the stomach due to the insufficiency of esophageal sphincter...
  3. J

    Why Does Our Stomach Grumble?

    why our stomach grumbles
  4. S

    How can there be a term called intestinal metaplasia of stomach

    How can there be a term called "intestinal metaplasia" of stomach Hello everyone, Ok Stomach's normal epithelium is simple columnar, now in intestinal type of adenocarcinoma of stomach it undergoes "intestinal metaplasia", due to gastrititis. Now intestine also has simple columnar...
  5. C

    How strong is human stomach acid?

    This may seem weird, but after a day of acid reflux here goes: Let's say you could shrink yourself down, and get swallowed alive by a healthy woman -- would her stomach be able to dissolve you bones and all? Or would you suffocate before feeling any considerable burning? Would you even feel...
  6. E

    Medical Girl drinks liquid nitrogen, has stomach removed

    An 18-year-old teenager has had to have her stomach removed in an emergency operation after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19878511 Question? How does she eat food without a stomach? Carry a bag?
  7. Evo

    Medical Stomach Not Emptying: Vagus Nerve Damage?

    I've been sure of this before, but now I have proof, so to speak. I ate a small mint yesterday afternoon. As always, I have stomach pain and abnormal distension. I ate the mint over 30 hours ago and I'm now burping up mint. I wondered before about my vagus nerve being damaged by my previous...
  8. S

    Medical Aspirin absorption in stomach and intestine is confusing.

    Hello everyone, Aspirin(acetylsalicylic acid) is a weak acid. So in the acidic PH of stomach it must be more in nonionised form. In the alkaline PH of intestine it must be more in ionised form. Now my note says something is more absorbed if it is in non ionised form, this makes sense because...
  9. F

    Does stomach acid kill all bacteria that you eat?

    Does stomach acid kill all bacteria that you eat? If it does, then how do we get food poisoning?
  10. C

    Passive Absorption of Quinine in Stomach vs Ileum

    Homework Statement The antimalarial drug quinine has pka = 8.4; is it likely to be absorbed by passive diffusion through lipid membranes in the stomach (ph = 0.9) or ileum (ph \approx 8)? Why? Homework Equations n/a The Attempt at a Solution If the pH of the environment is...
  11. Math Is Hard

    Shrink Your Stomach: Can Smaller Meals Help?

    Can you really shrink your stomach by eating smaller meals? Just something I've often heard.
  12. Q

    How can i find out how strong my stomach is? Able to resist vomiting

    Me and some other people went to out lakehouse. Someone turned off our power and there was a freezer full of rotten meat. One of my companions has a weak stomach and could not go near it. But I was able to walk up to the freezer and toss out all the rotten meat without getting sick. Is there...
  13. Simfish

    Vinegar and stomach acid pH

    "By taking a little apple cider vinegar before a meal, you can increase stomach acidity and thereby improve digestion and nutrient uptake. " But since vinegar is less acidic than stomach acid wouldn't it follow that vinegar would reduce stomach pH? (unless the watery contents of vinegar flux...
  14. DaveC426913

    How does the stomach know to vomit?

    Asked in http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?p=302767" [Broken]. By what mechanism does the stomach recognize the ingestion of things we shouldn't have eaten and initiate reverse peristalsis (vomiting)? (There's the whole issue of inner ear and brain processes that deal...
  15. D

    Skydiving: No Sinking Stomach Feeling?

    Hey all, I went skydiving 2 days ago expecting to get that sinking stomach feeling that people typically experience during a roller coaster. Well, that didn't happen. It just felt like wind blowing on you. Can someone please explain?
  16. A

    Protein digestion happens alot in the stomach

    Okay so protein digestion happens a lot in the stomach...how come the stomach doesn't just digest itself??
  17. T

    If you have a weak stomach don't click here

    I had dinner at the Mexican restaurant again. Got it to go. I got a burrito and a pop. After I had eaten and drank my pop I took the lid off the pop and was chewing on some ice. that's when I noticed something at the bottom of the cup. I reached in and pulled it out. I placed the object on my...
  18. F

    At what speed does the food enter the stomach

    A morsel of food with a mass of 4.2g is injected into the esophagus with an initial speed of 2.5cm/s. On the way down to the stomach, the walls of the esophagus exert an upward resistive force of 0.0027 N on the morsel. Ifthe esophagus is 20cm long, with what speed does the morsel of food enter...
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