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Histology of the stomach
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If you look at the stomach under the microscope, the first thing you see is its lining: the epithelium of the mucosa, made only of surface mucous cells. All of them secrete a layer of alkaline mucus, the opposite of acidic, which acts as a protective blanket.
That surface is not smooth. It is dotted with an enormous number of gastric pits, and each little hole is the opening of a gastric gland, which makes gastric juice, the digestive fluid of the stomach. The largest glands sit in the fundus and the body, where almost all chemical digestion happens, and they produce most of the secretions. Several cell types live side by side inside them: parietal cells, chief cells, mucous neck cells, and enteroendocrine cells, each with its own job.
In brief
In the stomach, the epithelial lining of the mucosa consists only of surface mucous cells, which secrete a protective layer of alkaline mucus.
A huge number of gastric pits dot that surface and mark the opening of each gastric gland, which secretes gastric juice.
Up close, that surface looks like a pincushion: every little hole is the opening of a gland.
The larger glands of the fundus and body produce most of the secretions and contain parietal, chief, mucous neck, and enteroendocrine cells.
Sources (1)
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityAnatomy and Physiology 2e, 23.4 The Stomach
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