Acid in the stomach is a key part of digestion and is responsible for breaking down food and aiding in the absorption of nutrients. It is a crucial and necessary function of our body. Like all other acids, hydrochloric acid (HCl) is formed by the combined actions of stomach acid, which is secreted by the parietal cells in the stomach, and the pancreas’s juices, which release the bicarbonate ion that combines with the HCl to produce the hydrogen ions that give the HCl its acidic properties. In addition, the stomach also releases proton pumps that help digest food by moving hydrogen ions into the food.
The roles of acid in our stomacha are:
a) The hydrochloric of acid in our stomach dissolves bits of food and creates an acidic medium in which enzyme is converted to pepsin, which is a protein-digesting enzyme.
b) It also kills many bacteria and other microorganisms that enter with the food.
