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Our stomach – a digestive machine
What could be more important to our existence than our stomach? It is a key organ of the body inside which food is digested at high speed. And digestion is synonymous with energy – the foundation of all life.
It is in the stomach that the alimentary bolus is transformed into a creamy pulp known as the chyme. The stomach is a pouch-shaped organ immediately below the oesophagus. It is located on the left of the abdomen, between the liver and the diaphragm. Placed just above the small intestine, it measures about 25 cm when empty, but its high level of elasticity means that it can hold up to 4 litres!
The stomach continues the process of breaking down food that began in the mouth – both physically and chemically. The mechanical aspect of the digestive process relies on a layer of muscles in the stomach that are unique. This relatively thick layer is composed of smooth and oblique muscles which churn the food at a rate of 3 contractions per minute on average. The chemical side of the process is carried out by the gastric juices. Secreted by the gastric glands, this acid, composed of enzymes, enters the stomach via tiny openings in its mucous membrane layer. Food is ground down by the muscles and broken down by the gastric juices. The intestines then take over.
The stomach usually empties within 4 hours of eating a meal. It all depends on what you eat. If you eat very fatty food, it may take up to 6 hours for the stomach to empty as fats are digested more slowly by intestinal enzymes.
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18 article(s)
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