The STOMACH is a very active organ of the body. It attaches to upper portion, the esophagus and the lower portion, the small intestines. It is located on the central or slighly left side of the abdomen. The function is the digestion or “breakdown” of food.

 The pH is very important in the stomach to allow for the breakdown of food particles. It typically ranges between 1 and 2. The food enters the stomach having already been “mashed” by the teeth. Several different proteins are developed by several different types of cells found to line the stomach. Pepsinogen or pepsin helps digest protein. Gastric Acid, intrinsic factor and some hormones are also produced in the stomach.

  Digestion is often interchanged with absorption. In actuality only a small amount of food is absorbed in the stomach.  Water, alcohol, caffiene, aspirin, and a few other compounds are the few.

 Sphincters are found at the “top” and “bottom” of the stomach to keep both the solid and liquid contents in the stomach until the intestines are ready for the next portion of “digestion”.

 The word stomach comes from both latin and greek. Gastro- and gastric both are derived from the Greek word gaster