254 THE ORGANS 



is no such distinct cuticle as in the intestine. The basal end of the 

 cell contains the spheroidal, oval, or sometimes flattened nucleus, is 

 granular, and takes a darker stain. The amount of mucus in the cell 

 depends upon its functional condition. The cells rest upon a distinct 

 basement membrane. 



The Gastric Glands. — Extending from the bottoms of the pits, 

 their epithelium continuous with that of the pits themselves, are the 

 gastric glands. These are of two main kinds, fundus or peptic glands, 

 distributed through the greater part of the gastric mucosa, and py- 

 loric glands, confined to the immediate region of the pylorus. 



Gastric pits 9^^^^HKr%^iS^HH^L^i^^Bi ^^^'"^ ^ ' 



;FiG. 155. — Surface View of Mucous Membrane of Stomach showing gastric pits 



(Spalteholz). 



The fundus glands (Fig. 156) are simple, sometimes branched, 

 tubular glands, of which from three to seven open into each gastric 

 pit. They extend through the entire thickness of the stroma, to the 

 muscularis mucosae. 



Each gland consists of (i) a mouth opening into the pit; (2) a 

 constricted portion, the neck; (3) the body or main portion of the 

 tubule; and (4) a slightly dilated and bent bhnd extremity, the 

 fundus (Fig. 156). The mouth marks the transition from the higher 

 epithelium of the pit to the low cuboidal of the neck (Fig. 157, h). 

 In the body and fundus of the gland two types of cells are found: 

 (a) chief cells (central, peptic, or adelomorphous), and (b) parietal 

 cells (acid, oxyntic, or delomorphous). 



The chief cells (Figs. 157, 158) are the more numerous. They are 

 of the low columnar type, often pyramidal with apices directed toward 

 the lumen. Their bases rest either on the basement membrane or 

 against the parietal cells. The appearance which these cells present 



