Stomach vs small intestine: how they differ, in 3D
The stomach and the small intestine follow one another along the gut: the stomach is a pouch in the upper left of the abdomen, and the small intestine is a long, narrow tube that starts at the pylorus, the outlet of the stomach, and coils in the middle of the abdomen. The stomach holds food for a while and churns it with gastric juice into a thick liquid, and the small intestine finishes digesting it with pancreatic juice and bile and absorbs most of the nutrients.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the stomach join the small intestine?
At the pylorus, the outlet of the stomach. Just beyond it begins the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.
Are nutrients absorbed mainly in the stomach or the small intestine?
In the small intestine. The folds and villi of its inner wall give it a large surface, and most nutrient absorption happens there. The stomach absorbs only a few substances, such as water and alcohol.
Is the duodenum part of the stomach or the small intestine?
It is part of the small intestine: the duodenum is its first section, followed by the jejunum and the ileum. Its name comes from Latin for twelve, after its length of about twelve finger-breadths.
The organs compared
Parts to look at
Other organ comparisons
More comparisons
Read more
- The human skeleton in 3D
- BAHI BODY 3D human body
- Chronic Disease Is Systemic Breakdown: chapter summaries
- Blog
Related reading
- Coffee on an empty stomach after a broken night: what a study found about blood sugar
- Ultra-processed food and the gut microbiome: what the research shows, and what it doesn’t
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