What does the stomach produce to aid in digestion?

The stomach produces pepsinogen to aid in digestion. Pepsinogen is an inactive enzyme secreted by the gastric chief cells in the stomach lining. Once it enters the acidic environment of the stomach, it is converted to its active form, pepsin, which is crucial for the breakdown of proteins into smaller peptides. This is a key step in the digestive process, as proteins from food need to be adequately broken down for absorption in the small intestine.

Salivary amylase, while important in digestion, is produced by the salivary glands and functions primarily in the mouth, breaking down starches into simpler sugars before the food even reaches the stomach. Trypsin, on the other hand, is produced by the pancreas and is active in the small intestine, not in the stomach. Secretin is a hormone produced in the small intestine that regulates the pH of the small intestine by promoting the release of bicarbonate from the pancreas; it doesn’t play a direct role in the digestion of food in the stomach.