Humans have one stomach.
While the human stomach is a single organ, it is divided into distinct regions, which might sometimes lead to confusion. These regions are not separate stomachs, but rather different functional areas within the same stomach.
The four main regions of the human stomach are:
- Fundus: The upper, rounded portion that lies above the connection to the esophagus.
- Body: The main, central part of the stomach.
- Antrum: The lower, funnel-shaped region leading to the pylorus.
- Pylorus: The region connecting the stomach to the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine).
These regions work together to store food, begin the digestive process (both mechanically and chemically), and control the rate at which partially digested food (chyme) is released into the small intestine. Although it is divided into 4 regions, it is still a single stomach.
