Chief function of HCl is (1) To maintain low pH to promote growth of microorganisms (2) To facilitate absorption (3) To maintain low pH to activate pepsinogen to form pepsin (4) To dissolve enzymes secreted in stomach.

Answer: (3)

Functions of hydrochloric acids are

• Hydrochloric acid is an essential acid in the stomach.
• It helps destroy bacteria, as well as other harmful species.
• It also works as a preservative for food.
• HCl converts pepsinogen which is not active into pepsin to metabolize proteins in our stomach.
• HCl also acts as another stomach cover apart from mucus, to avoid the pepsin from digesting the whole stomach.