Considering the high concentration of acid and proteolytic enzymes secreted by the stomach, it is natural to wonder why the stomach does not digest itself. Several factors protect the walls of stomach and duodenum.
The surface of the gastric mucosa is lined with cells which secrete a slightly alkaline mucous, which in humans forms a layer of 1 to 1.5 mm thick over the stomach surface. The protein content of mucous and its alkalinity tend to neutralize H+ in the immediate area of the epithelial cell layer, HL7 training thus forming a chemical barrier between the highly acid contents of the lumen and the cell surface.
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