Stomach

Q: Which arteries supply blood to the stomach?

The blood supply to the stomach is provided by: Left and right gastric arteries (a. gastrica sinistra et dextra);Gastro-omental (gastroepiploic) arteries (aa. gastroepiploicae), including the left gastro-omental artery running along the greater curvature;Short gastric arteries (aa. gastricae breves) — 3–7 small branches directed toward the fundus of the stomach.

Q: Which ligaments anchor the stomach within the abdominal cavity?

Ligaments associated with the stomach include: Gastrosplenic ligament (lig. gastrosplenicum), which transmits the short gastric arteries, with the tail of the pancreas situated between its layers;Gastrocolic ligament;Phrenicoesophageal ligament (lig. phrenicoesophageum).

Q: What anatomical structures are located along the lesser curvature of the stomach?

Structures found along the lesser curvature include: Angular notch (incisura angularis), an indentation on the lesser curvature marking the boundary of the body of the stomach;Left and right gastric lymph nodes (nodi lymphoidei gastrici sinistri et dextri), first-tier lymph nodes located along the lesser curvature adjacent to the left and right gastric arteries.

Gaster

For medical students2 min readUpdated 2026-10-10

The stomach (gaster) is a dilated, sac-like segment of the digestive tract located in the upper left quadrant of the abdominal cavity. The majority of the organ lies in the left hypochondriac region, although its shape and position vary significantly depending on body habitus and the degree of filling.

TopographyUpper left quadrant of the abdominal cavity (left hypochondrium)

Organ WallConsists of 3 main layers: mucosa, muscular layer, and serosa

Peritoneal RelationshipIntraperitoneal (completely covered by visceral peritoneum)

Venous DrainageDrains into the portal venous system (v. portae)

External Structure: Surfaces and Curvatures

Anatomically, the stomach presents two main surfaces that transition into each other along the borders of the organ:

anterior surface — paries anterior;
posterior surface — paries posterior.

The borders of the stomach form distinct curvatures:

lesser curvature — curvatura minor (features an important anatomical landmark — the angular notch, incisura angularis);
greater curvature — curvatura major.

Parts and Openings of the Stomach

The stomach is divided into several functional and anatomical regions that merge gradually into one another. The main parts include:

Cardia (pars cardiaca) — the initial inlet segment.
Fundus (fundus / fornix gastricus) — the dome-shaped superior portion.
Body (corpus gastricum) — the largest central region.
Pyloric part (pars pylorica) — the terminal segment, which is further subdivided into the antrum (antrum pyloricum) and the canal (canalis pyloricus).

Food enters and leaves the stomach through two main orifices. The inlet is the cardiac orifice (ostium cardiacum). The outlet is the pyloric orifice (ostium pyloricum), which is guarded by a thick muscular sphincter — the pyloric sphincter (m. sphincter pyloricus).

Layers of the Stomach Wall

The wall of the stomach has a complex architecture consisting of three primary layers:

1. Mucosa (tunica mucosa) It is approximately 1.5–2 mm thick and thrown into numerous longitudinal folds known as gastric folds (plicae gastricae). The mucosal surface exhibits gastric areas (areae gastricae) and microscopic pits called gastric pits (foveolae gastricae). The ducts of the gastric glands (glandulae gastricae) empty directly into these pits.

2. Muscular layer (tunica muscularis) Responsible for organ motility, it uniquely possesses three layers of smooth muscle instead of the typical two found in most of the GI tract:

outer longitudinal layer;
middle circular layer;
inner oblique layer (fibrae obliquae).

3. Serosa (tunica serosa) Represented by the visceral peritoneum, it covers the stomach entirely, conferring its intraperitoneal status within the abdominal cavity.

Gastric Glands

The secretory apparatus of the mucosa contains several types of glands, whose distribution varies by region:

proper gastric glands (glandulae gastricae propriae) — located predominantly in the body and fundus;
cardiac glands (glandulae cardiacae) — located in the cardia;
pyloric glands (glandulae pyloricae) — located in the pyloric region.

Blood Supply and Innervation

The stomach has a rich blood supply and dual autonomic innervation.

Arteries: Perfusion is provided by the left and right gastric arteries (a. gastrica sinistra et dextra), gastro-omental (gastroepiploic) arteries (aa. gastroepiploicae), and short gastric arteries (aa. gastricae breves).

Venous and Lymphatic Drainage: Gastric veins collect blood and drain into the portal venous system (v. portae). Lymph drains into regional nodes: gastric (nodi lymphoidei gastrici), gastro-omental (gastroepiploici), and celiac (coeliaci) nodes.

Innervation:

Parasympathetic — supplied by the vagus nerve (n. vagus).
Sympathetic — supplied by branches of the celiac plexus (plexus coeliacus).

Mnemonic

To remember the layers of the muscular stomach wall (from outside to inside), use the mnemonic OLS: Outer longitudinal, Lmiddle circular, Sinner oblique.

Frequently asked questions

Which arteries supply blood to the stomach?

The blood supply to the stomach is provided by:

Left and right gastric arteries (a. gastrica sinistra et dextra);
Gastro-omental (gastroepiploic) arteries (aa. gastroepiploicae), including the left gastro-omental artery running along the greater curvature;
Short gastric arteries (aa. gastricae breves) — 3–7 small branches directed toward the fundus of the stomach.

Which ligaments anchor the stomach within the abdominal cavity?

Ligaments associated with the stomach include:

Gastrosplenic ligament (lig. gastrosplenicum), which transmits the short gastric arteries, with the tail of the pancreas situated between its layers;
Gastrocolic ligament;
Phrenicoesophageal ligament (lig. phrenicoesophageum).

What organs are in contact with the posterior surface of the stomach?

The posterior surface of the stomach is in contact with the pancreas. The pancreas lies retroperitoneally in the upper floor of the abdominal cavity, directly posterior to the stomach. The upper part of the pancreatic head projects into the lesser sac (bursa omentalis) and abuts the posterior surface of the stomach through the peritoneum.

What anatomical structures are located along the lesser curvature of the stomach?

Structures found along the lesser curvature include:

Angular notch (incisura angularis), an indentation on the lesser curvature marking the boundary of the body of the stomach;
Left and right gastric lymph nodes (nodi lymphoidei gastrici sinistri et dextri), first-tier lymph nodes located along the lesser curvature adjacent to the left and right gastric arteries.

What is the peritoneal relationship of the stomach?

The stomach is covered by peritoneum on all sides, meaning it is positioned intraperitoneally.

How does the muscular layer of the stomach differ from most of the GI tract?

It features an additional third layer (the inner oblique layer of muscle fibers) alongside the standard outer longitudinal and middle circular layers.

Where does the venous blood from the stomach drain?

All venous blood from the stomach drains into the portal venous system (v. portae).

Go deeper

Topography of the stomach: skeletotopy and syntopy
Anastomoses between gastric arteries
Histological structure of proper gastric glands
Lymphatic drainage pathways from different parts of the stomach
Structure of the pyloric sphincter and its role in digestion