gastric mucosa

The gastric mucosa is the inner lining of the stomach, covered by a protective layer of thick mucus. This mucus, secreted by tall columnar epithelial cells, lubricates food and shields the stomach lining from its own digestive enzymes and acids. The acidity of the mucous layer is neutral at the epithelium and becomes more acidic towards the stomach's lumen. Beneath the mucosa lies the muscularis mucosae, followed by the submucosa. The gastric mucosa contains various cells within gastric glands, including mucoid cells that secrete mucus, zymogenic cells that produce pepsinogen (a precursor to pepsin for protein digestion), and parietal cells that secrete hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor. Endocrine cells like gastrin cells and enterochromaffin-like cells also reside here, secreting hormones and other substances that regulate digestion and bodily functions.12