Reviews of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology 156

Gastric acid plays a primary role in digestion as well as in the sterilization of food and water. Gastric juice contains the most concentrated physiological acid solution (pH~1) as a result + – of H and Cl ion secretion [hydrochloric acid (HCl) production] by parietal cells in the oxyntic mucosa of the stomach. The combined output of the parietal cells leads to the sec- tion of 1–2 l of HCl at a c...