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The stomach is a muscular bag and is part of the digestive system, sometimes called the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
The upper part of the stomach is joined to the gullet (oesophagus), and the lower part of the stomach is joined to the beginning of the small bowel (duodenum).
Once food has been swallowed, it passes down the gullet and into the stomach where it is mixed with gastric juices. The semi-solid food then passes into the small bowel, where it is broken down further and nutrients are absorbed. The gastric juices in the stomach help the bowel to absorb some important substances from our food, such as Vitamin B12, iron and calcium.
The position of the stomach
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The wall of the stomach has four layers:
Structure of the stomach wall
The stomach is also connected to the lymphatic system, which helps to protect the body from infection.
Lymph nodes and the stomach
A colourless fluid called lymph circulates through the lymphatic system. All the tissue layers of the stomach are bathed in lymph. The lymph drains into tiny tubes (lymph vessels) and is then filtered by the lymph nodes. These clean the fluid by removing old cells or bacteria before returning it to the main blood circulation.
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