Cardia

The cardia is the portion of the stomach surrounding the cardioesophageal junction, or cardiac orifice (the opening of the esophagus into the stomach). Tumors of the cardioesophageal junction are usually coded to the stomach.

Fundus

The fundus is the enlarged portion to the left and above the cardiac orifice.

Body

The body, or corpus, is the central part of the stomach.

Pyloric antrum

The pyloric antrum is the lower or distal portion above the duodenum. The opening between the stomach and the small intestine is the pylorus, and the very powerful sphincter, which regulates the passage of chyme into the duodenum, is called the pyloric sphincter.

The stomach is suspended from the abdominal wall by the lesser omentum. The greater omentum attaches the stomach to the transverse colon, spleen and diaphragm.

The common mesentery suspends the small intestine. The parietal peritoneum lies over the duodenum and other structures, such as the abdominal aorta. Because they lie behind the peritoneum, they are called retroperitoneal structures.

Layers of the stomach wall

The stomach is made up of several layers of tissue:

• The mucosa (mucous membrane) is the inner lining of the stomach. When the stomach is empty the mucosa has a ridged appearance. These ridges (rugae) flatten out as the stomach fills with food.
• The next layer that covers the mucosa is the submucosa. It is made up of connective tissue that contains larger blood and lymph vessels, nerve cells and fibres.
• The muscularis propria (or muscularis externa) is the next layer that covers the submucosa. It is the main muscle of the stomach and is made up of 3 layers of muscle.
• The serosa is the fibrous membrane that covers the outside of the stomach. The serosa of the stomach is also called the visceral peritoneum.

Function

The stomach has 3 main functions:

• temporary storage for food, which passes from the esophagus to the stomach where it is held for 2 hours or longer
• mixing and breakdown of food by contraction and relaxation of the muscle layers in the stomach
• digestion of food

The mucosa contains specialized cells and glands that produce hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes to help digest food. The mucosa in the cardiac and pyloric regions of the stomach release mucus that helps protect the lining of the stomach from the acid produced for digestion. Other specialized cells in the mucosa of the pylorus release the hormone gastrin into the blood. Gastrin helps to stimulate the release of acid and enzymes from the mucosa. Gastrin also helps the muscles of the stomach to start contracting.

Food is broken down into a thick, acidic, soupy mixture called chyme. The pyloric sphincter relaxes once chyme formation is complete. Chyme then passes into the duodenum. The duodenum plays a big role in absorption of the food we eat. The stomach does not play a big role in absorption of food. It only absorbs water, alcohol and some drugs.

The post The Stomach appeared first on Medika Life.

The liver is a dark reddish-brown color, and is shaped a bit like a wedge. It weighs about 3 pounds. The liver has 2 lobes. Both are made up of 8 segments that have of 1,000 small lobes called lobules. These lobules are connected to small tubes (ducts) that lead to larger ducts that form the common hepatic duct. The common hepatic duct sends the bile made by the liver cells to the gallbladder and the first part of the small intestine (duodenum) through the common bile duct.

The liver holds about 1 pint (13%) of your body’s blood supply. There are 2 blood vessels that send blood to the liver. They are:

• Hepatic artery. This sends oxygen-rich blood to the liver.
• Hepatic portal vein. This sends nutrient-rich blood to the liver.

Functions of the liver

The liver has more than 500 vital functions. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver processes this blood. It breaks down, balances, and creates nutrients. It also processes medicines and other chemicals. The liver:

• Makes bile, which helps carry away waste and break down fats in the small intestine during digestion
• Makes certain proteins for blood plasma
• Makes cholesterol and proteins to help carry fats through the body
• Converts excess glucose into glycogen for storage and makes glucose as needed 
• Controls blood levels of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins
• Processes hemoglobin for its iron and then stores the iron
• Converts ammonia to urea, which is then excreted in urine
• Clears medicines, drugs and other substances from the blood
• Controls blood clotting
• Helps prevent infections by making immune factors and removing bacteria from the blood
• Clears bilirubin from the blood 

When the liver has broken down harmful substances, this waste is excreted into the bile or blood. Waste in bile enters the intestine and leaves the body in the form of feces. Waste in blood is filtered out by the kidneys, and leaves the body in the form of urine.

Anatomical Position

The liver is predominantly located in the right hypochondrium and epigastric areas, and extends into the left hypochondrium.

When discussing the anatomical position of the liver, it is useful to consider its external surfaces, associated ligaments, and the anatomical spaces (recesses) that surround it.

Anatomical Structure

The structure of the liver can be considered both macroscopically and microscopically.

Macroscopic

The liver is covered by a fibrous layer, known as Glisson’s capsule.

It is divided into a right lobe and left lobe by the attachment of the falciform ligament. There are two further ‘accessory’ lobes that arise from the right lobe, and are located on the visceral surface of liver:

• Caudate lobe – located on the upper aspect of the visceral surface. It lies between the inferior vena cava and a fossa produced by the ligamentum venosum (a remnant of the fetal ductus venosus).
• Quadrate lobe – located on the lower aspect of the visceral surface. It lies between the gallbladder and a fossa produced by the ligamentum teres (a remnant of the fetal umbilical vein).

Separating the caudate and quadrate lobes is a deep, transverse fissure – known as the porta hepatis. It transmits all the vessels, nerves and ducts entering or leaving the liver with the exception of the hepatic veins.

Microscopic

Microscopically, the cells of the liver (known as hepatocytes) are arranged into lobules. These are the structural units of the liver.

Each anatomical lobule is hexagonal-shaped and is drained by a central vein. At the periphery of the hexagon are three structures collectively known as the portal triad:

• Arteriole – a branch of the hepatic artery entering the liver.
• Venule – a branch of the hepatic portal vein entering the liver.
• Bile duct – branch of the bile duct leaving the liver.

The portal triad also contains lymphatic vessels and vagus nerve (parasympathetic) fibres.

The post The Liver appeared first on Medika Life.