The key difference between cardiac and pyloric sphincter is that cardiac sphincter is present at the upper portion of the stomach and closes off the top end of the stomach while pyloric sphincter is present at the lower end of the stomach and closes off the bottom of the stomach.
The stomach is one of the organs of our digestive system. It is a muscular sac located between the esophagus and small intestine. Chemical digestion of food takes place in the stomach. There are four regions in the stomach. They are cardiac region, fundus of the stomach, the body of the stomach and pyloric region. The stomach has two sphincters. A sphincter is a circular muscle that maintains constriction of a natural body passage. The two stomach sphincters are cardiac sphincter and pyloric sphincter. Cardiac sphincter is located at the top of the stomach, while pyloric sphincter is located at the bottom of the stomach. Foods remain inside the stomach due to the contraction of these two sphincters.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Cardiac Sphincter
3. What is Pyloric Sphincter
4. Similarities Between Cardiac and Pyloric Sphincter
5. Side by Side Comparison – Cardiac vs Pyloric Sphincter in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Cardiac Sphincter?
Cardiac sphincter, also called the lower esophageal sphincter, is a specialized valve. It is located at the top of the stomach between the lower esophagus and cardia of the stomach. It prevents the backflow of stomach contents and stomach acids to the esophagus. In order to prevent upward movement of stomach contents, cardiac sphincter remains contracted. However, cardiac muscle is weak and ill-developed when compared to the pyloric sphincter.
Figure 01: The Stomach
What is Pyloric Sphincter?
Pyloric sphincter is the strong ring of smooth muscle located at the bottom of the stomach. It controls the stomach emptying. This valve keeps the stomach shut for several hours in order to enhance digestion. Then afterwards, it relaxes and opens up to allow the chyme to pass into the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine. Pyloric sphincter receives sympathetic innervation from the celiac ganglion. Pyloric sphincter is a thick muscular ring, and it is best supplied with muscles compared to the cardiac sphincter.
What are the Similarities Between Cardiac and Pyloric Sphincter?
- Cardiac and pyloric sphincter are two sphincters of our stomach.
- They are specialized valves.
- The food remains inside the stomach due to the contraction of these two sphincters.
What is the Difference Between Cardiac and Pyloric Sphincter?
Cardiac sphincter is the valve located at the top of the stomach while pyloric sphincter is the specialized valve located at the bottom of the stomach. So, this is the key difference between cardiac and pyloric sphincter. Cardiac sphincter prevents the backflow of stomach acids and content into the esophagus, while pyloric sphincter controls the release of chyme from the stomach into the duodenum.
Moreover, cardiac sphincter is weak and ill-developed while pyloric sphincter is a thick muscular ring which is well supplied with muscles.
Below infographic summarizes the difference between cardiac and pyloric sphincter.
Summary – Cardiac vs Pyloric Sphincter
Cardiac and pyloric sphincters are used in the normal course of digestion. They are stomach sphincters. Cardiac sphincter is found at the top of the stomach in the cardiac region. It connects the esophagus to the stomach. It prevents gastric acids and stomach content going back to the esophagus. Pyloric sphincter is found at the bottom of the stomach, and it connects to the duodenum. It controls stomach emptying. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between cardiac and pyloric sphincter.
Reference:
1. “The Stomach | Boundless Anatomy And Physiology”. Courses.Lumenlearning.Com, 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “2414 Stomach” By OpenStax College – Anatomy & Physiology, Connexions Web site, Jun 19, 2013 (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia