Gyomor

Gyomor, the Hungarian term for the stomach, is a J-shaped organ of the upper digestive tract. In humans it lies in the upper abdomen, connecting the esophagus to the small intestine. It serves as a reservoir and a site of initial digestion, mixing ingested food with gastric secretions before gradually releasing chyme into the duodenum.

It has four anatomical regions: cardia, fundus, body, and pylorus. The wall consists of mucosa forming gastric folds (rugae) when empty, a submucosa, muscularis with three layers (inner oblique, middle circular, outer longitudinal), and a serosa. The mucosa contains gastric glands that secrete gastric juice. Parietal cells produce hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor; chief cells secrete pepsinogen; mucous cells secrete protective mucus; enteroendocrine cells release hormones such as gastrin.

The acidic environment (pH usually 1.5–3.5) denatures proteins and enables pepsin to digest proteins. Gastric juice includes hydrochloric acid, pepsin, gastric lipase, and mucus. The stomach also secretes intrinsic factor, essential for vitamin B12 absorption in the ileum. The pyloric region controls passage of chyme into the duodenum; gastric emptying is influenced by chyme consistency, fats, and distension, and is moderated by hormonal and neural signals.

Secretion and motility are regulated by neural and hormonal mechanisms, notably gastrin, histamine, and acetylcholine. Disruptions can lead to gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric outlet obstruction, or gastroparesis. The term gyomor is commonly used in Hungarian medical literature and education to refer to the stomach and its functions within the digestive system.