The Stomach.
—The stomach is the principal organ of digestion. It is the most dilated part of the alimentary canal, and is situated between the termination of the esophagus and the commencement of the small intestines. It is placed in part immediately behind the anterior wall of the abdomen and beneath the diaphragm.
The lesser curvature of the stomach extends between the cardiac and the pyloric orifices along the right border of the organ.
The greater curvature of the stomach is directed to the left, and is four or five times as long as the lesser curvature.
The cardia is the point at which the esophagus enters the stomach wall.
Fig. 23—The coeliac axis and its branches. (Gray)
The cardiac orifice is the opening by which the esophagus communicates with the stomach. It is sometimes called the esophageal opening. It is situated on a level with the body of the tenth and eleventh dorsal vertebrae. It is to the left of and in front of the aorta. On the anterior surface of the body the cardiac orifice corresponds to the articulation of the seventh left costal cartilage to the sternum.
The pylorus is the point at which the stomach passes into the duodenum.