Stomach

Table of Contents

• Stomach
• Roles of Stomach
  • Digestion of Food
  • Storage Bag
• Summary
• Did You Know?
• What’s Next?

In the previous segment, we learnt about the Oesophagus. In this segment, we will learn about the stomach.

What is Stomach?

The stomach is a muscular organ that receives the food from the oesophagus. Its main function is to digest the food we eat.

Stomach

What are the Roles of the stomach?

There are two major roles of the stomach: breakdown of food and storage of food.

1. Digestion of food

The physical breakdown of food

• • • The muscles of the stomach contract and churn the food.
    • The inner layer of the stomach is full of wrinkles known as Rugae. They help to grip and move food during digestion.
    • The Churning aids in the conversion of Bolus to Chyme. Chyme is a milky paste formed after the stomach digest the food.

The chemical digestion of food

• • • The chemical breakdown occurs in the presence of Gastric Enzymes.