Definition

1. Noun:
   • A digestive fluid secreted by the stomach: Gastric juice is a clear, acidic liquid produced by glands in the stomach lining. Its primary function is to aid in the digestion of food.
   • A specific composition of acids and enzymes: It consists chiefly of hydrochloric acid, mucin, and the digestive enzymes pepsin, rennin (chymosin), and lipase.

Usage

• Gastric juice is essential for breaking down proteins and killing harmful bacteria in ingested food.
• The term is used in biological, medical, and physiological contexts to describe this specific bodily secretion.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The presence of food in the stomach stimulates the production of gastric juice.
  • Hydrochloric acid in gastric juice creates the highly acidic environment necessary for pepsin to function.

Advanced Usage

• "Secretion of gastric juice": The process by which the stomach lining produces this fluid.
  • The secretion of gastric juice is controlled by both neural and hormonal signals.
• "Gastric juice analysis": A medical procedure, now largely historical, to assess the stomach's acid-producing capacity.
  • Gastric juice analysis was once used to help diagnose conditions like peptic ulcers.

Variants and Related Words

• Gastric (adj): Of or relating to the stomach.
  • Gastric pain can be a symptom of various disorders.
• Gastrin (n): A hormone that stimulates the secretion of gastric juice.
  • Gastrin is released by G-cells in the stomach.

Synonyms

• Stomach acid: A common, less technical term emphasizing the acidic component.
• Digestive fluid of the stomach: A descriptive synonym.

Related Phrases

• Acid secretion: Often used interchangeably in a physiological context, though it can refer specifically to the hydrochloric acid component.
  • Medications can reduce excessive acid secretion.

Noun

1. digestive secretions of the stomach glands consisting chiefly of hydrochloric acid and mucin and the enzymes pepsin and rennin and lipase