Answer
The stomach is the largest organ in the digestive tract and it performs several important functions. First, food is broken up into fine particles and thoroughly mixed with with digestive system secretions to form a semisolid mixture called chyme. Second, the stomach is the storage organ of the GI tract, and third, it secretes several digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid, and intrinsic factor(IF).
While the food is being mixed, proteins are partially digested by pepsin; also, salivary amylase continues digesting starch (for a short period), and lingual lipase begins the conversion of fats to fatty acids, and monoglyceride)s. Nevertheless, the amount of digestion that takes place in the stomach is relatively small. In addition, the stomach does not absorb many nutrients; it does, however, absorb ingested acidic substances like aspirin, and drugs like barbiturates,
ibuprofen and acetominophen,.
Work Step by Step
A small fraction of an ingested aliquot caffeine or of alcohol is absorbed in the stomach. But ethyl alcohol, and caffeine are absorbed mainly from the small intestine.
