Question

What is the function of acid in the stomach?

Answer 1

Stomach is a muscular organ present in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. It is an elastic structure and functions to digest food particles. It secretes several enzymes and an acid which facilitate the process of digestion.

Complete answer:
Stomach is present in the gastrointestinal cavity of animals. The oesophagus or the food pipe connects the stomach to the mouth cavity. The rear end of the stomach is connected to the small intestine. The stomach plays a central role in digestion. It receives the mashed food from the oesophagus and churns them to convert into chyme or partially digested food. While churning, the stomach secretes gastric juices and a mild acid called Hydrochloric acid into the chyme.
Hydrochloric acid plays an important role in digestion by:

By destroying microorganisms present in the food
Bringing about the breakdown of complex particles into fundamental ones
Activates pepsinogen to form pepsin, which in turn digests proteins.
Lowering the pH of the stomach that creates an ideal medium for pepsin to function.

Additional information: Digestion is the process by which food is broken down to extract nutrients in simpler forms, thereby making it easy for the intestine to absorb them in the body. The process is a catabolic one, that is because food substances are broken down. Digestion essentially starts in the mouth when fats and starch digestion is initiated by the enzymes present in saliva. Thereafter, the masticated food is transferred to the stomach where further digestion takes place. Stomach is known to digest food mechanically and chemically. Mechanical digestion takes place when food substances are further broken down physically into still smaller particles. This process occurs by a contractile movement of the stomach muscles called peristalsis. Chemical digestion is the digestion brought about by the action of enzymes. Further on, this partially digested food enters the small intestine, where the final stage of digestion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates occur. The nutrients from the completely digested food is absorbed by the small intestine into the bloodstream. Waste substances are carried to the kidneys for excretion.

Note: Stomach is the major digestive organ of the body. It secretes enzymes and Hydrochloric acid that helps to digest food. The stomach churns the food by a movement called peristalsis to break down food particles. The acid secreted by stomach functions to kill microorganisms, activate enzymes and provide the required pH for enzymes to function.