Can my stomach dissolve another human stomach?

Question

Our stomachs use hydrochloric acid, HCl, to dissolve food, but the HCl doesn't dissolve the stomach itself. First, why is that? And second, can someone's stomach dissolve another human stomach?

Answer 1

Only if you are a cannon ball.

Answer 2

The stomach has a special lining that prevents it digesting itself.

Sometimes that lining gets a small hole in it. That is an ulcer, where the acid burns through the lining.

I will leave you to find out if you can dissolve another stomach. People eat haggis, which is a sheep's stomach.

Answer 3

i dont think so

Answer 4

Yes, your stomach can dissolve another person's stomach and it can dissolve your own if your stomach lining is not intact.

According to Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach

mucosa = The first main layer. This consists of an epithelium, the lamina propria underneath, and a thin layer of smooth muscle called the muscularis mucosae.

According to Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epithelium

"n biology and medicine, epithelium is a tissue composed of layers of cells that line the cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body. It is also the type of tissue of which many glands are formed. Epithelium lines both the outside (skin) and the inside cavities and lumen of bodies. The outermost layer of our skin is composed of dead stratified squamous, keratinized epithelial cells.

Mucous membranes lining the inside of the mouth, the oesophagus, and part of the r****m are lined by nonkeratinized stratified squamous epithelium. Other, open to outside body cavities are lined by simple squamous or columnar epithelial cells."

The stomach lining is composed of Simple columnar, non-ciliated cells that are resistant to HCL.  However an ulcer happens when your stomach lining is damaged and it tries to digest itself.

According to Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach_ulc...

"A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is an ulcer (defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm) of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. As much as 80% of ulcers are associated with Helicobacter pylori, a spiral-shaped bacterium that lives in the acidic environment of the stomach, however only 20% of those cases go to a doctor. Ulcers can also be caused or worsened by drugs such as Aspirin and other NSAIDs. Contrary to general belief, more peptic ulcers arise in the duodenum (first part of the small intestine, just after the stomach) than in the stomach. About 4% of stomach ulcers are caused by a malignant tumor, so multiple biopsies are needed to make sure. Duodenal ulcers are generally benign."

Pepcid AC was a medication developed exclusively to fight ulcers, but when it was proved that 80% of ulcers were caused by a bacteria infection it became a medication in search of a disease.  I am disabled and have to take a lot of medication, one of them is a Pepcid like pill to decrease my stomach acid so it doesn't cause me pain.  Other medications tend to dehydrate me and that increases the amount of HCL vs. water in the stomach which causes pain as the stomach tries to dissolve its own lining.

So you can dissolve all of the stomach except for the stomach lining.

The stomach lining can be damaged by over use of some medications, by a bacteria, or if the HCL level vs water level rises too high; this create an ulcer.

Ulcers used to have to be repaired by surgery.  Incidentally the man who discovered the bacteria that causes most ulcers faced a lot of opposition from surgeons and the medical companies.  Finally, he had to take a dose of the bacteria and prove he had an ulcer and cure himself with an antibiotic.  A pretty drastic solution, but his solution put several drugs and doctors totally out of business.

By the way haggis is actually only cooked in the sheep's stomach.

According to Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis

"Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish.

There are many recipes, most of which have in common the following ingredients: sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours.

Haggis somewhat resembles stuffed intestines (pig intestines otherwise known as chitterlings or the kokoretsi of traditional Greek cuisine), sausages and savoury puddings of which it is among the largest types. As the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique puts it, "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour." (p592)

Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach. There are also meat-free recipes for vegetarians."

Answer 5

are you thinking of eating a stomach?

Answer 6

yes, but how you got it into your stomach is a question I do not want answered...

Answer 7

first of all HCl doesnt dissolve food it just creates an acidic medium 4 digestion & converts inactive pepsin to active pepsin and 2ndly, yes it can(i think so.)

Answer 8

Why not?  Yes if we eat a stomach, ie haggis for instance we absorb it.

The reason why HCL in our stomachs doesnt dissove it are several. The answer lies in the types of cells that make up the gastric membrane. We certainly notice ph of 5 if we have gastric reflux!

The answer lies in the composition of gastic mucosa.