Question

The pH of the gastric juices released during digestion is:
(A) Equal to 0
(B) Equal to 7
(C) More than 7
(D) Less than 7

Answer 1

Hint: The pH scale is defined as a scale which is used to measure the number of hydrogen ions which are present in a particular solution. The main purpose of a pH scale is that it is used to determine whether the given solution is acidic in nature or basic in nature.

Complete answer:
> The gastric juices are composed of hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride, and also sodium chloride.
> Their main function is that they help in the digestion of proteins by activating the digestive enzymes. These digestive enzymes main function is to break the long chains of amino acids of proteins.
> Gastric juice is secreted by the oxyntic of the stomach.
> Gastric acid is controlled by the autonomous nervous system as well as other several hormones.
> The parasympathetic nervous system and the hormone gastrin stimulate the parietal cell whose function is to produce gastric acid.

Gastric juice is a digestive fluid which is formed within the stomach lining. It is acidic in nature because the digesting enzymes present in the stomach such as pepsin do not work well in the basic medium so the pH is well maintained between the range of 1.5 and 3.5 in the stomach. So, the pH of the gastric juices is normally around 2.

So, the correct option is option (D) Less than 7.

Note: The role which is played by the gastric acid in the process of digestion was established in the 1820s and 1830s by William Beaumont on Alexis St. Martin, who as a result of an accident, had developed a hole in his stomach, which further allowed Beaumont to find out the process of digestion and to extract gastric acid. This process verified that an acid plays a very crucial role in digestion.