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Science — AI-generated practice question

AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.

Q1. [2] medium thorough-understanding
What is the role of hydrochloric acid in the stomach?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-11 09:38 · grounding rag
Model Answer

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) secreted by the gastric glands in the stomach wall performs two main roles:

  1. It creates an acidic medium which is necessary for the protein-digesting enzyme pepsin to function properly.
  2. It kills harmful bacteria and other microorganisms that may enter with the food, protecting the body from infection.
Explanation

The source passage (Chapter 5, Nutrition in Human Beings) explicitly states that HCl "creates an acidic medium which facilitates the action of the enzyme pepsin." The passage also hints at another function by asking "What other function do you think is served by the acid?" — examiners expect students to infer that it kills germs/bacteria. Both points together earn full 2 marks. Mentioning mucus protection is bonus context but not required here.

Source: Chapter 5, Section 5.2.4 (Nutrition in Human Beings)

Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.