What is the Meaning & Definition of Chyme

Chyme is the substance that is obtained product of digestion of the food at the level of the stomach. Once the food are deglutidos or swallowed pass into the stomach where takes place the first phase of digestion, which is a process that seeks to convert food into substances less complex and smaller so that they can be absorbed by different mechanisms. In the stomach the food are crushed by movements that occur there, at the time that are mixed with the gastric juices that are produced by the gastric mucosa, which can reach about 2-3 liters per day. The gastric juices are secreted in the presence of food or after visual or olfactory stimulation, mainly contain hydrochloric acid, which can lead to a significant decline in pH or acidity of the stomach (about 2). This is necessary to carry out the digestion of proteins as well as eliminate the microorganisms that are ingested with food, however makes it necessary that the stomach has different protection mechanisms to prevent digesting itself, when these mechanisms fail occur disorders such as gastritis and stomach ulcers. One of the main components of the gastric juices is an enzyme called pepsin, this substance has as function start the process of digestion of proteins, which these substances having a form of long chains are dividing into its smallest fractions which are amino acids. Pepsin is initially in an inactive form called pepsinogen, which by action of the acidic pH of the stomach hydrochloric acid secretion product is activated and transformed into pepsin. This initial phase of digestion gives rise to a substance called Chyme, this has a Pasty, semi-solid consistency, is acidic and consists of the ingested nutrients in which proteins have been divided into its constituent amino acids. Chyme goes to the next section of the digestive tract known as duodenum, stomach and duodenum are separated by muscular ring or sphincter called pylorus whose function is to regulate the output of the Chyme from the stomach, this process is known as gastric emptying and takes place continuously in small portions, once there the Chyme suffers a series of transformations due to bile and pancreatic to become Quilo secretions.