gaster /gas·ter/ (gas´ter) [Gr.] stomach.
stomach [stum´ak]
gas·ter (g s t r)n. The stomach. |
stomach [stum´ak]
the curved, muscular, saclike structure that is an enlargement of the alimentary canal (see digestive system) and lies between the esophagus and the small intestine; called also gaster. (See also Plates.) adj., adj gas´tric.
The wall of the stomach consists of four coats: an outer serous coat; a muscular coat, made up of longitudinal, circular, and oblique muscle fibers; a submucous coat; and a mucous coat or membrane forming the inner lining. The muscles account for the stomach's ability to expand when food enters it. The muscle fibers slide over one another, reducing the thickness of the wall while increasing its area. When empty, the stomach has practically no cavity at all, since its walls are pressed tightly together; when full it holds about 1.4 liters.
The stomach muscles perform another function. When food enters the stomach, they contract in rhythm and their combined action sends a series of wavelike contractions from the upper end of the stomach to the lower end. These contractions, known as peristalsis, mix the partially digested food with the stomach secretions and ingested liquid until it has the consistency of a thick soup; the contractions then push it gradually by small aliquots into the small intestine.
The stomach is usually emptied of its digested contents in 1 to 4 hours; the time may be longer, however, depending on the amount and type of food eaten. Foods rich in carbohydrates leave it more rapidly than proteins, and proteins more rapidly than fats. The stomach may continue to contract after it is empty; such contractions stimulate nerves in its wall and may cause hunger pangs.
The mucous membrane lining the stomach contains innumerable gastric glands; their secretion, gastric juice, contains enzymes, mucin, and hydrochloric acid. Enzymes help to split the food molecules into smaller parts during digestion. The physiologic action of mucin is not fully understood. Hydrochloric acid aids in dissolving the food before the enzymes begin working on it.
The diagnosis and treatment of stomach disorders has changed markedly with the development of endoscopy. This benign procedure permits direct examination and biopsy of the stomach and has sharply increased the accuracy of diagnosis and, as a result, the effectiveness of medical therapy. In addition, the development of whole new families of medications that reduce gastric acid secretion (such as cimetidine) and increase gastric motility (such as metoclopramide) have decreased the need for surgery for peptic ulcer disease.
Surgery of the stomach has become increasingly conservative with a better understanding of that organ's physiology. Instead of the resections that were once done routinely for peptic ulcer disease, sophisticated procedures, such as the supraselective vagotomy, that can decrease acid secretion without resection of the stomach are available. Even so, resection may still be needed for more severe cases of ulcer disease, for such complex entities as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and for malignancies.
The wall of the stomach consists of four coats: an outer serous coat; a muscular coat, made up of longitudinal, circular, and oblique muscle fibers; a submucous coat; and a mucous coat or membrane forming the inner lining. The muscles account for the stomach's ability to expand when food enters it. The muscle fibers slide over one another, reducing the thickness of the wall while increasing its area. When empty, the stomach has practically no cavity at all, since its walls are pressed tightly together; when full it holds about 1.4 liters.
The stomach muscles perform another function. When food enters the stomach, they contract in rhythm and their combined action sends a series of wavelike contractions from the upper end of the stomach to the lower end. These contractions, known as peristalsis, mix the partially digested food with the stomach secretions and ingested liquid until it has the consistency of a thick soup; the contractions then push it gradually by small aliquots into the small intestine.
The stomach is usually emptied of its digested contents in 1 to 4 hours; the time may be longer, however, depending on the amount and type of food eaten. Foods rich in carbohydrates leave it more rapidly than proteins, and proteins more rapidly than fats. The stomach may continue to contract after it is empty; such contractions stimulate nerves in its wall and may cause hunger pangs.
The mucous membrane lining the stomach contains innumerable gastric glands; their secretion, gastric juice, contains enzymes, mucin, and hydrochloric acid. Enzymes help to split the food molecules into smaller parts during digestion. The physiologic action of mucin is not fully understood. Hydrochloric acid aids in dissolving the food before the enzymes begin working on it.
The diagnosis and treatment of stomach disorders has changed markedly with the development of endoscopy. This benign procedure permits direct examination and biopsy of the stomach and has sharply increased the accuracy of diagnosis and, as a result, the effectiveness of medical therapy. In addition, the development of whole new families of medications that reduce gastric acid secretion (such as cimetidine) and increase gastric motility (such as metoclopramide) have decreased the need for surgery for peptic ulcer disease.
Surgery of the stomach has become increasingly conservative with a better understanding of that organ's physiology. Instead of the resections that were once done routinely for peptic ulcer disease, sophisticated procedures, such as the supraselective vagotomy, that can decrease acid secretion without resection of the stomach are available. Even so, resection may still be needed for more severe cases of ulcer disease, for such complex entities as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and for malignancies.
Anatomy of the stomach. From Ignatavicius and Workman, 2002.
cascade stomach an atypical form of hourglass stomach, characterized radiologically by a drawing up of the posterior wall; an opaque medium first fills the upper sac and then cascades into the lower sac.
hourglass stomach one shaped somewhat like an hourglass.
leather bottle stomach linitis plastica.
stomach pump an apparatus used to remove material from the stomach, consisting of a stomach tube to which a bulb syringe is attached. The tube is inserted into the mouth or nose and passed down the esophagus into the stomach. Suction from the syringe brings the contents of the stomach up through the tube. This can be used either to remove material from the stomach in an emergency (such as when a person has swallowed poison) or to obtain a specimen for chemical analysis (such as in diagnosis of peptic ulcer or other stomach disorders).
stomach tube a flexible tube used for introducing food, medication, or other material directly into the stomach. It can be passed into the stomach by way of either the nose or the mouth. See also tube feeding. Called also esophageal tube.
gaster
[Gr.] see stomach.
Patient discussion about gaster.
Q. What is a best home workout for weight loss around the stomach and waist? I can't go outside a lot, so I do Pilates. I want to know more workouts for weight loss.
A. There is no natural way to target your stomach fat. You can pay for lipo suction, but that is the easy and expensive way out. Plus if you don't put the work into it then you won't appreciate the results as much.
I would focus on a total body fat loss program. Combining cardio with resistance training and sprinkling in some high intensity interval training is a great way to boost your fat loss. Then focus on eating healthier. Start off slowly though so that you don't get overwhelmed and feel like quitting. Go for walks, eat a few meals a day that are healthier with fruits and veggies, then eat regularly for the rest of the day. The point is to gradually transform your habits into healthier ones.
I would focus on a total body fat loss program. Combining cardio with resistance training and sprinkling in some high intensity interval training is a great way to boost your fat loss. Then focus on eating healthier. Start off slowly though so that you don't get overwhelmed and feel like quitting. Go for walks, eat a few meals a day that are healthier with fruits and veggies, then eat regularly for the rest of the day. The point is to gradually transform your habits into healthier ones.
Q. Do japanese in the US still have high risk of stomach cancer? I was born in the US to parents that emigrated from Japan when they were in their late twenties. I know that people in Japan have a very high risk of stomach cancer. Does that mean that as an individual of Japanese origin I also have high risk, although I never were in Japan?
A. Children of immigrants from Japan have lower chance than that of Japanese people living in Japan, and the risk decrease the more time and generations they live outside Japan, but it's still a bit higher than the risk of non-Japanese people living in US.
Q. Which would be the best diet pattern for a woman to have a flat stomach? I am worried about my weight. I have been constantly gaining weight for past few months and I have gained a large belly. I am just 19 years old. I would like to lose weight desperately and I am clueless on the diet pattern that I should be following. Could someone please help me out? Which would be the best diet pattern for a woman to have a flat stomach?
A. Hello. I think some of the previous posts are correct. In addition to increasing your physical activity, it's also very important to monitor how often you go to the bathroom to get rid fat causing waste inside of your stomach. You definitely need to drink lots of water and in order to allow for your body to naturally dispose of these harmful waste. You can find out more information on ways to start losing weight naturally here: http://getwellstaywell.wordpress.com
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