A silly question but also worthwhile!!!

[Abdulmajid]

Going back to David Attenborough's documentary on Boa Constrictors, where an adult snake ate an entire gazelle and would dissolve all the matter within a year including horns and hoofs.

Human gastric juices are, I imagine fairly corrosive as well. That is it dissloves red meat and other like stuff.

My question,

Why doesn't stomach acid burn from the inside in? What protective anti-corrosive element do animals and humans have in its stomach lining to ensure it does not rot-dissolve etc inwards out?

[Munkeeluvva]

The stomach is lined with a dense layer of cells, called epithelial cells, which continually sacrifice themselves in order to protect deeper layers of the stomach wall. Each minute, the surface lining sheds some 500,000 cells, and it completely replaces itself in three days.

The main components of digestive juices are a protein-digesting enzyme called pepsin and hydrochloric acid. The pepsin is relatively harmless, but hydrochloric acid is extremely caustic and can dissolve tissue in hours. If too much is secreted, the regenerative properties of the epithelial cells may be overcome, the wall breached, and an ulcer produced.

[barney4444]

Oi munkeeluva how the hell do you know all that !!

[Munkeeluvva]

I am a gastroenterologist.

Oh, and I have Google :-P

[tiggerblue10]

Munkee,

I have a stomach ulcer which rears its ugly head every now and again when I'm stressed. I take Gavison and Zantac but still suffer for hours afterwards. Help!!!

Tiggs

[Munkeeluvva]

Get your GP to prescribe Losec.

[tiggerblue10]

Thank you Munkee.x