Gastric juice is secreted by three types of

glands present in different area of stomach:

 1. Single cell mucous glands
◦ Located in: whole stomach mucosa
◦ Secrete: Mucus
 2. Oxyntic (gastric) glands
◦ Located in:Body and Fundus except
lesser curvature
◦ Types of cell and their secretions:
 Mucous neck cells:secrete mucus
 Chief cells:secrete pepsinogen
 Oxyntic or parietal cells: HCL and
Intrinsic factor
3. Pyloric glands
◦ Located in :antrum of stomach
◦ Secrete:
 Mucus
 Some pepsinogen
 GASTRIN
4.Cardiac glands
◦ Located in: 1 cm immediately
surrounding entry point of
esophagus
◦ Secrete:Mucus for the protection
of gastro-esophageal junction
1. Basal secretions
1. secretion continues during interdigestive period,
2. there is no known factor stimulating its release
3. its about 10% of maximum secretion rate)
2. Secretion of gastric juice in response to
meals
Occurs in three phases:
1. Cephalic/Neural phase (sight,smell,taste, thought)
2. Gastric phase(Local stretching,Gastrin,vagal reflex)
3. Intestinal Phase(Entero-gastric reflex, Gastrin)
1. Water (99% of gastric juice mass)
2. Organic matter
1. Mucin
2. Pepsinogen
3. Gastric lipase
4. Intrinsic factor
5. Lactic acid ( excess of lactic acid signifies bacterial
growth in stomach)
3. Inorganic matter
1. HCl (most important)
2. Others : Na+, K+ and to lesser extent phosphate
 pH

Range: 1.3 to 2.6

Acidic

 Voulme

2-3 liters/per day

1.Pepsin
◦ Secreted in an inactive zymogen form called pepsinogen
which is activated into Pepsin by HCl present in gastric juice

◦ Activation occurs at PH < 2

◦ ROLE OF PEPSIN:
 Pepsin converts proteins into polypeptides by hydrolyzing specific
peptide bonds
 It curdles milk by converting casein into paracasein which than
combines with calcium to form paracaseinate (insoluble)
2.Gastric Lipase
◦ Stable in acidic medium
◦ Effective against fats containing short and medium chain
fatty acids e.g milk fat
3.Other enzymes i.e.
 Gastric amylase (minor role in starch
digestion)
 Gelatinase( liquifies proteoglycans in meat)
3.HCl
 Secreted by parietal cells

 Functions:
1. It activates pepsinogen into pepsin
2. Lowers the PH of gastric juice (favourable PH for
digestion of proteins)
3. Antiseptic action (prevents growth of bacteria in
stomach)
4. Helps in absorption of iron
5. Helps in secretion of hormone SECRETIN into the
blood stream as gastric contents enters into
Duodenum.
4.Mucin
◦ Present as slippery layer over mucosa of stomach
acting as
 lubricating agent
 Barrier against HCl

5. Intrinsic Factor
◦ Glycoprotein in nature
◦ Required for active absorption of vitamin B12 from
ileum???
◦ Its lack result in vit B12 deficiency ,leading to pernicious
amenia
7.Role of hypotonicity

Gastric juice itself is hypotonic, therefore it helps in

reducing the tonicity of hypertonic food ingested
toward isotonicity with plasma.
1.Parasympathetic nerves (vagus nerve)
2.Histamine(powerful stimulant of parietal
cells)
3.Gastrin
4.Ca++ ions(by increasing gastrin secretion)
5.Caffeine,Nicotine,Alcohol
6.Insulin (through vagal centre in the brain)
7.Chronic anger and chronic anxiety (stress ulcers)
8.Costicosteroids( high doses+long period)
9.Food flavours(chillies)
1.Fats
2.Alkalies in large doses
3.Parasympatholytic drugs(atropine)
4.Anti-histamine drugs(cimetidine)
5.Anti-gastrin substances(Proglumide)
6.Proton Pump Inhibiting Drugs(Omeprazole)
7.Hormone Secretin
8.Prostaglanding( PGE2 analogues used in
peptic ulcer treatment)
1.Mucus (micin present in mucus give rise to a
gel like layer of 0.2 mm thick that
covers gastric mucosa)
2.HCO3- (it buffers HCl)
3.Mucosal barrier( juctions)
4.Trefoil peptides( special peptides in mucosa
that are acid resistant)
5.Epithelial cells renewal
6.Efficient microcirculation
1.What converts pepsinogen into pepsin?(HCl)
2.Which hormone regulate HCl secretion
mainly?(Gastrin)
3.HCl is secreted by which type of
cells?(parietal cells)
4.PH in stomach is acidic of basic?
5.How much gastric juice is secreted per day?
6. Enumerate phases of gastric juice secretion