Depending on the Species, There May Be Two General Types of Gastric Mucosa: Glandular and Nonglandular
Most domestic, monogastric animals have only glandular mucosa in the stomach, but horses and rats have an area in the proximal portion of their stomachs that is covered by nonglandular, stratified squamous epithelium.
This area is visibly different from the glandular area, to which it adjoins with a sharp line of demarcation. The function of the nonglandular area of gastric mucosa is unclear. The nonglandular area may serve as a place where a small amount of fermentative (rumenlike) digestion could occur. Because there is little mixing activity in the proximal stomach, food in the nonglandular area would be protected from the secretions of the gastric glands. These acid secretions kill bacteria, and thus their presence would prevent fermentation. Fermentative digestion is discussed in detail in Chapter 31.The glandular area of the stomach is divided into three regions: cardiac mucosa, parietal mucosa, and pyloric mucosa. These areas contain glands of similar structure but with different types of secretions, as described later. In most species the cardiac mucosa forms a narrow band around the gastric opening of the esophagus. In the pig, however, the cardiac mucosa covers a substantial portion of the proximal stomach.
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