Final answer:
Gastric juice assists in the chemical digestion of food and contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes, but does not digest food into chyme; rather, it helps in breaking down the food where chyme is formed. The correct option is C. It contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct statement about gastric juice is that it initiates chemical digestion of food, contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes, and is produced in the stomach. However, gastric juice does not digest food into chyme; it only assists in breaking down the food. Chyme is the mixture of partially digested food and digestive juices that form in the stomach and is eventually passed to the small intestine.
Pepsinogen, an inactive enzyme in gastric juice, is converted to its active form, pepsin, which aids in the chemical digestion of proteins. The hydrochloric acid (HCl) in gastric juice maintains a low pH necessary for pepsin's activity and helps denature food proteins. The gastric phase of digestion, which includes the secretion of gastric juice, begins when food reaches the stomach. The correct option is C. It contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes