Hydrochloric acid is a colorless, clear, highly corrosive liquid that can cause burning. Hydrochloric acid is a very good industrial acid; it’s good for pickling iron and steel. Hydrochloric is found naturally in the stomach with the other gastric juices. Hydrochloric acid plays a role in the digestion of the food, and releasing enzymes in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid is found with the other gastric juices which are mostly potassium chloride, and sodium chloride. Hydrochloric acid is made up 5% of the gastric acids. It has a pH of 2. ("Role of Hydrochloric Acid in the Stomach | LIVESTRONG.COM," n.d.) Hydrochloric acid role is to purify the food you eat and prevent harmful bacteria from entering the stomach. The first thing that happens …show more content…
The gut is a tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. The upper gut includes esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Our stomach acid helps you to digest food and protects you against infection. A layer of mucus lines your stomach, esophagus and bowel to act as a fence against this acid. If the mucous layer is damaged, your stomach acid can irritate the tissues underneath; or if the valve at the top of your stomach isn’t working properly, stomach acid can irritate the esophagus, leading to indigestion. (Indigestion Symptoms, Causes and Treatments - Bupa. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bupa.com.au/health-and-wellness/health-information/az-health-information/indigestion). So, indigestion may be caused by the stomach acid coming into contact with the protective lining of the digestive system. The stomach acid breaks down the lining, leading to irritation or inflammation. It can cause a burning sensation when the lining becomes irritated. Indigestion may also be due to the lining of the digestive system being sensitive to acid or stretching caused by eating. ("Indigestion - NHS Choices," n.d.) Dyspepsia is a chronic disease in which the symptoms vary in frequency and intensity. The main symptoms are upper pain, bleeding, nausea, abdominal bloating, abdominal distention or swelling.
The stomach has a layer which is called the gastric mucosa; it is the mucous membrane which
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The parietal cell produces hydrochloric acid, it is very concentrated. The g-cells produce gastrin, a hormone that smooths the production of hydrochloric acid that is produced by the parietal cells. The stomach is protected by the epithelial cells, which produces and secretes bicarbonate rich solution that coats the mucosa. What is bicarbonate? It is an alkaline, a base and neutralizes the acid secreted by the parietal cells. The base and acid reacts with each other producing water in the process. This the main way the stomach can be protected from being auto-digesting or digesting itself. ("How does your stomach keep from digesting itself? | HowStuffWorks," n.d.) The mucous doesn’t get digested as it secrets the hydrochloric acid because the pH within the parietal cells remain neutral. Hydrochloric acid in the lumen doesn’t digest the mucous because cells in the mucous secrete large quantities of protective mucus that line the mucosal surface. Basic electrolytes, such as HCO3-, trapped inside the layer of mucus neutralize any hydrochloric acid that enters the mucus. This mucus layer also protects the mucosa from digestive enzymes in the lumen. ("Why don 't our digestive acids corrode our stomach linings? - Scientific American," n.d.)
Hydrochloric acid is a colorless, clear, highly corrosive liquid. Hydrochloric acid plays a great role in digesting food. The role of