THE STOMACH 



279 



The character of the secreting glands differs somewhat in vari- 

 ous portions of the stomach. The three varieties, according to 

 their distribution, are known as the fundus glands, the pyloric 

 glands, and the cardiac glands. 



The Fundus Glands (Peptic 

 Glands). These are somewhat 

 branched tubular glands which 

 possess short ducts, the crypts or 

 foveolce, and relatively long secret- 

 ing portions several of which 

 open, by means of short con- 

 stricted portions, the necks of the 

 glands, into the bottom of each 

 crypt. 



The ducts or crypts are lined 

 by tall columnar cells which pos- 

 sess a remarkably clear distal cyto- 

 plasm, and whose nuclei lie at the 

 proximal or attached ends of the 

 cells. This epithelium rests upon 

 a distinct basement membrane of 

 reticular tissue (Mall) ; it is also 

 continued over that portion of 

 the corium which occupies the 

 intervals between adjacent ducts, 

 where it forms the true lining 

 epithelium of the stomach. Its 

 cells secrete a clear muco-albumi- 

 nous fluid. 



The secreting portion, fundus, 

 of the gland is five to eight times 

 as long as the duct or foveola, a 

 fact which sharply differentiates 

 the fundus from the pyloric glands 

 of the stomach. The lumen of 

 the secreting portion is so narrow 

 as to be scarcely perceptible ex- 

 cept by the use of special stains 

 or high magnification. 



The fundus of the gland is lined by two distinct cell types, the 

 chief and the parietal cells. The chief cells are relatively more 



Fici. 230. LONGITUDINAL SECTION or 



THE FUNDUS GLANDS OF MAN. 



i, parietal cells ; g, fundus of the 

 gland; h, chief cells; k, body, and I, 

 neck of the gland; w, muscularis uni- 

 ces \ Mg, gastric crypts, x 85. (After 

 Kolliker.) 



