Stomach
From Conservapedia
The stomach is a very important organ useful for digestion in many animals. The stomach has a bag-like shape and is located between the esophagus and the duodenum. The human stomach is a muscular, elastic, pear-shaped bag, lying crosswise in the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. It changes size and shape according to is position of the body and the amount of food inside. The stomach is about 12 inches long and is 8 inches wide at its widest point. The stomach's capacity is about 2 quarts in an adult homo sapien.
Food enters the stomach from the mouth. The connection between the stomach and the mouth is called the esophagus. The esophagus has a sphincter that prevents food from passing back to the esophagus (See vomit). Heart burn is the sensation when juices from the stomach seep through the sphinter into the esophagus. Once food enters the stomach, those same juices are used to break down the food. Some substances are absorbed by the muscular lining of the stomach. One of the substances the stomach absorbs is alcohol, which is why alcoholics are prone to contract stomach cancer. The bottom end of the stomach empties into the duodenum. The duodenum is the lip of the small intestine. Another sphincter separates the stomach from the duodenum.
The stomach is composed of four layers. Starting from the inside and working our way out, the innermost layer is called the mucosa. Stomach acid and digestive juices are made in the mucosa layer. The next layer is called the submucosa. The submucosa is surrounded by the muscularis, a layer of muscle that moves and mixes the stomach contents. The next layers, the serosa, is the wrapping for the stomach. The serosa is the outermost layer of the stomach.
Stomach Diseases
Some of the common stomach conditions are ulcers, gastritis, and stomach cancer.
