Question

What role does acid play in our stomach?

Answer 1

Hint: The acid present in our stomach is hydrochloric acid. It aids in digestion of complex food molecules into simpler ones and converts it into absorbable form.

Complete step by step answer:
Hydrochloric acid plays a major role in the process of digestion. It creates an acidic medium so that the enzyme pepsin digests the protein and kills the bacteria present in them. Hydrochloric acid helps our body to break down, digest, and absorb nutrients such as protein. The hydrochloric acid found in the stomach aids the process of digestion by breaking large food molecules into simpler molecules. The acid activates the pepsinogen enzyme required to digest proteins.

Additional information:
When there is no hydrochloric acid in the stomach, the iron absorption process is hindered as iron is essential in the medium for absorption. The stomach is prompted to produce acid when food is consumed for the production of the gastrin hormone. Hence, the acid lowers the pH level in the stomach, switching off the gastrin production.

Note: The hydrochloric acid lowers the pH of the stomach which converts the inactive form of gastric enzymes such as pepsinogen to their active forms to initiate digestion. Without the presence of hydrochloric acid the food will not get digested.