As we learned in class last week, hydrochloric acid (or stomach acid) is extremely acidic. It has a ph of between 3 and 1 making it almost as acidic as battery acid. If it were outside of our stomachs, it would be extremely dangerous to touch. So how does our stomach keep it from burning through and harming us?
Watch Stomach Acid Dissolve a Soda Tab in 12 Hours
The stomach is made of many layers including layers of muscle that help push food around while it is digesting. The innermost level however, the level that is in direct contact with the hydrochloric acid, is made up of specialized cells. There are parietal cells, g-cells, and epithelial cells. The parietal cells actually help produce the hydrochloric acid. Whenever you eat, more hydrochloric acid is created to help digest your food. The g-cells produce gastrin which helps the parietal cells create hydrochloric acid. The epithelial cells are the reason that your stomach acid is contained within your stomach. The epithelial cells produce a bicarbonate-rich solution that coats the inside of the stomach. Bicarbonate is a base and when it interacts with the acidic stomach acid, it neutralizes it. Water, the most neutral solution, is created in the process. Your body uses acids and bases to combat each other and keep you safe from yourself.