Question

evaluate the statement given below "it is the mouth and stomach the germs in the food are destroyed to an extent"​

Answer 1

It is the stomach and the mouth in which germs present in the food are destroyed to an extent because of the presence of hydrochloric acid and lysozyme enzyme respectively.

• The mouth contains an enzyme known as lysozyme which is responsible for preventing infections because it acts as an antibacterial agent.
• Other germs that passes through the stomach and enter the stomach, get destroyed inside the stomach with the help of hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is secreted in the stomach by the oxyntic or parietal cells. HCL is responsible for regulating the pH sufficient for the digestion process in the stomach.
• Due to the generation of sufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid, the conditions in the stomach are incredibly harsh that help the food breakdown along with other chemicals. Any harmful bacteria is generally destroyed in such acidic conditions that enters the food accidentally.

Hence, Lysozyme and hydrochloric acid are responsible for destroying the germs inside the mouth and the stomach respectively.