Great question so let’s tackle it step by step.
Hostile Environment Within The Small Intestine:
The small intestine offers varying degrees of environmental difficulties such as a differential pH to the growth and survival of microbial life. After the stomach the food reaches the small intestine in the form of partially digested lump of food called acid chyme. As a result, the pH gets lowered in the small intestine in region with close proximity to the stomach. However, the enzymes in the small intestine responsible for digestion are only active at alkaline condition. As a result to neutralize this acidic condition and to facilitate proper digestion a variety of factors including bile juices, pancreatic juices, secretin, and certain enzymes are released into the lumen of the small intestine which brings the pH in this region to around 8. [Read more…]