Answer :
The bicarbonate content of pancreatic juice neutralizes the acidic chyme and provides an optimal environment for pancreatic enzymes to function properly in the small intestine, thus aiding in the digestion of sugars, proteins, and fats.
The bicarbonate content of pancreatic juice plays a crucial role in the digestive system. Its main function is to neutralize acidic chyme, which is the partially digested food that comes from the stomach into the small intestine.
The bicarbonate works to balance the pH, thereby providing a proper environment for the pancreatic enzymes to be most effective. These enzymes, which are important in the digestion of sugars, proteins, and fats, require a certain pH level to function optimally.
The pancreas produces over a liter of this juice every day. The juice is clear, slightly alkaline with a pH range of 7.1 to 8.2, and contains water, salts, sodium bicarbonate, and digestive enzymes.
By buffering the acidic gastric juice in the chyme and inactivating pepsin (a digestive enzyme from the stomach that is active at acidic pH), sodium bicarbonate ensures that the small intestine has the right conditions required for the digestion process.