Help with a biology question concerning antacids that reduce the amount of acid in a person's stomach?!


Question: Help with a biology question concerning antacids that reduce the amount of acid in a person's stomach.?
As part of the digestive process, the human stomach produces hydrochloric acid, HCl.
Sometimes excess acid causes discomfort. In such a case, a person might take an antacid such as magnesium hydroxide, Mg (OH)2. Explain how this substance can reduce the amount of acid in the stomach.

please help: 10 pts to best answer.
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Answers:
This is simple chemistry. The antacid only reduces the amount of acid in the stomach at the time it is taken. You see, acids are lower on the pH scale. So the lower the number is, the more acidic it is. Stomach acid, such as Hydrochloric acid is anywhere between 1-3. Well, an antacid is simply a basic substance, most of the times, it is magnesium. It's like a positive number and a negative number. They cancel each other out. In this case, the antacid just removes the excess acid by cancelling it, and it passes through the digestive system neutral. The rest of the acid stays in your stomach and is necessary for the digestion of the rest of the contents. They are then reabsorbed into the body by the small intestine, and recycled. You get it.?Health Question & Answer

It simply neutralises the acid made by your stomach. Antacids include; aluminium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium trisilicate and hydrotalcite. Alkalis is opposite of acids. The chemicals in antacids are bases (alkalis). When a reaction occurs between an acid and base it is called neutralisation. .

Acid is basically produced by the stomach to help with the digestion of food and also to kill bacteria. This acid is corrosive so your body produces a natural mucus barrier which protects the lining of the stomach from being eroded. Neutralisation makes the stomach contents less corrosive.

With some people this barrier may have broken down allowing the acid to damage the stomach, which can in some cases cause an ulcer.
Sometimes there is also a problem the sphincter that keeps the stomach tightly closed

You really should be doing your own homework. That's the only way it is going to absorb!Health Question & Answer



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