The human stomach plays an important role in digestion by secreting various compounds which help to break down food. These secretions are vital in order for the body to absorb the necessary nutrients from our food. While there are many different compounds secreted by the human stomach, there are three that are the most important. The following will provide a detailed description of these three compounds and their role in the digestive process.

Gastric Acid

Gastric acid is one of the most important compounds secreted by the human stomach. It is responsible for breaking down proteins in the food that we eat, which allows them to be more easily digested. Gastric acid also helps to prevent bacteria and other harmful organisms from entering the digestive tract. The pH of gastric acid tends to hover around 2.0, which is highly acidic and will quickly break down proteins.

Pepsin

Pepsin is an enzyme that is secreted by the human stomach in order to break down proteins into smaller, more easily digestible molecules. It is produced in the presence of gastric acid and is activated as soon as it comes into contact with proteins in the food. Pepsin is necessary for the body to effectively break down large proteins and absorb the necessary nutrients.

Intrinsic Factor

Intrinsic factor is a glycoprotein secreted by the human stomach that is necessary for vitamin B12 absorption. Vitamin B12 is a critical nutrient that must be obtained through our diet, and without intrinsic factor it would not be able to be absorbed. Intrinsic factor binds to the vitamin B12 molecules, allowing them to be transported across the wall of the small intestine and absorbed into the blood.

The human stomach secretes a variety of compounds in order to ensure proper digestion. Of these, gastric acid, pepsin, and intrinsic factor are the three most important. Gastric acid is responsible for breaking down proteins, pepsin is an enzyme which further breaks down proteins, and intrinsic factor helps to facilitate the absorption of vitamin B12. Together, these compounds ensure that we obtain the necessary nutrients from our food.