What organ of digestion is located in the epigastric region?
Have you ever wondered what that tingling feeling on the upper part of your abdomen is? Well, wonder no more! The answer to this mystifying mystery lies in a little something called the epigastric region. In this article, we will be diving deep into what exactly is going on in this area and exploring which organs are responsible for all that belching and bloating.
The Epigastric Region: A Fleshy Wonderland
Before we jump straight into the digestive system, let’s first take a moment to marvel at the wonderland that is our epigastric region. This fleshy part of our body stretches from our sternum (that bony plate-like thing below where our neck ends) to just below our belly button. It contains an array of important organs such as:
- Stomach
- Liver
- Gall bladder
- Pancreas
- Spleen
Now, don’t panic if you feel like there’s not enough room for all these guys because nature has a funny way of making everything fit perfectly. Plus, with regular exercise and a healthy diet (or so I’ve heard), you can keep those organs working smoothly without overcrowding.
Time To Meet Your Stomach
One of the most essential parts located within your epigastric region is none other than your stomach! Yes folks, it’s that bag-like structure filled with acid ready to turn your favourite foods into mushy slop (yum!). Here are some fun facts about your stomach:
Anatomy Of The Stomach
The stomach has various components:
Name | Function |
---|---|
Rugae | folds that help stretch its capacity |
Cardia | opening where food enters |
Fundus | top of the stomach |
Body | middle part of the stomach |
Pylorus | opening where food exits |
Stomach Acid and Secretions
Your stomach secretes various substances including:
- Hydrochloric acid (HCI)
- Mucous
- Pepsinogen
- Gastric lipase
- Intrinsic Factor
Now, what exactly do all those things do? Well, hydrochloric acid helps break down proteins in your food. Meanwhile, the mucous lining protects your stomach from eroding away with all that acidic juice sloshing about. Then there’s pepsinogen; it’s like a sleeping pill for digestion until it is woken up by HCI to turn into pepsin which splits proteins apart further. Lastly, we have gastric lipase which breaks down fats.
The intrinsic factor is another player that helps you absorb Vitamin B12 after separating it from dietary sources.
Digestion Process
As soon as food enters our mouth and gets chewed/broken down into small bits (hopefully), it turns into something called bolus – basically a bunch of mushy goo. The tongue then pushes this towards the back of our throats and we swallow out mouthsful at a time.
When bolus passes through our esophagus (the tube connecting throat to tummy) under assistance from peristaltic waves (∼muscle contractions), it ultimately ends up in our stomach via an opening known as cardiac sphincter / lower esophageal sphincter.
Once inside the tummy/world of delectable acids (yum again!), enzymes called proteases begin chemically digesting long protein chains found within foods turning them into smaller fragments like peptides & amino acids). Apart from chemical breakdown through acid secretion by parietal cells present in glands instead its walls also take part physiologically breaking forms of mechanical digestion like churning and mixing.
All that contractions and flopping around in our stomach break food apart into smaller bits, ensuring it’s easy to be passed through the narrow opening of the pylorus (‘funnel’ shaped structure at its end) onto the intestines.
Appendix Who? Meet The Pancreas
The pancreas – commonly known for causing diabetes but has a much more refined role than we credit it from- is another gland located right behind your stomach. It creates enzymes that help further digest all those nutrient-filled molecules down into even smaller pieces so they can be absorbed by your small intestines more efficiently.
Anatomy Of The Pancreas
Here are some of terms related to pancreas:
Term | Meaning |
---|---|
Head | Rounded part closest to duodenum |
Body | Large middle portion |
Tail | Narrowest tail end |
Uncinate | Hook-like projection on bottom posterior side |
Enzymes Produced By Pancreas
Ah yes, enzymes! Otherwise affectionately referred to as chemical nasties which guzzle up organic matter with great enthusiasm (sorry science lovers I couldn’t resist).
The primary enzyme produced in large quantities by this organ is pancreatic alpha-amylase which splits starch into disaccharides. The other digestive enzymes made by pancreatic glands include:
– Trypsinogen
– Chymotrypsinogen
– Procarboxypeptidases A&B.
These convert proteins not completed digested second time in stomach & peptides formed else plus trypsin acts on itself spitting off active trypsin; which helps in converting inactive precursors i.e chymotrypsinogen & procarboxypeptidases A&B from pancreatic juice reaching the duodenum.
Apart from digestive enzymes, pancreas also produces:
– Insulin
– Glucagon
These hormones help our body control blood sugar levels.
The Liver And Gallbladder
Located on the right side of your body and under your ribcage, you’ll find the master chemist–the liver! This large organ plays a role in many vital processes like detoxifying foreign substances (hence don’t blame that bad night out entirely upon yourself but contributing to it may prove more beneficial) and making bile crucial for fat digestion.
Alongside liver sits its trusty companion – The gall bladder responsible for storing bile until release is required for swallowing food especially those rich fats!
Anatomy Of The Liver
Let’s explore some quirky terminologies related to our hefty yet friendly neighbor:
Term | Meaning |
---|---|
Right Lobe | Larger lobe of liver |
While there aren’t many subheading options here, we rejoice that basis all these terms given above at least something could be remembered & pull Quiz-makers’ legs later 🙂
Bile Production By Liver And Storage In Gall Bladder
Bilirubin is none other than excreta or waste product produced by spleen while breaking down old red blood corpuscles releasing iron ready to be recycled or discarded along with bilirubin pigful color; moving eventually to form part of this enzyme involved swift emulsification of fatty oils ducting itself into small intestine(thus aiding absorption). This helps break fats up thus enabling further hydrolysis by pancreatic lipase enzzyme mentioned earlier —we CANT miss out such important fun bits after all.
Well done on reaching this point hustling through tables terms graphs pancreases and so forth – I hope stomach growls served as fuel throughout. At last with relief let me inform you that organ is stomach of our digestive system….. drum roll!
Hope you had as much fun as possible ready to whip out related trivia at upcoming party or impress your nutritionist next time you discuss the struggles in a vivid fashion. Pro-Tip: now that everything tasty has been broken down, it’s best to take those stretchy sweat pants for one final stroll and enjoy a well-earned nap!
Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!
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