Question:
What are the functions of gastric glands present in the wall of stomach ? (CCE 2011)
Solution:
Gastric glands produce the following substances :
- Mucus: Moistening the food and protecting the wall of the stomach from corroding action of HCl and pepsin.
- HCl: It makes the food soft, sterilised and acidified for pepsin to act upon food.
- Gastric Lipase: It is active only in infants. It partially breaks down fat into its components.
- Rennin: It is active in infants where it helps in curdling of milk (casein to paracasein) for action of pepsin.
- Pepsin: It is secreted in inactive state of pepsinogen. Pepsin hydrolyses proteins into soluble fragments of peptones and proteoses.