Given below are two statements: one is labeled Assertion (A) and other is labeled Reason (R).

Assertion (A): The food mixes thoroughly with the acidic gastric juice in stomach.

Reason (R): Gastric muscular wall shows churning movements.

In the light of above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

Assertion (A) is true. The food mixes thoroughly with the acidic gastric juice in the stomach. In the stomach, food undergoes mechanical and chemical processing. The acidic gastric juice, primarily composed of hydrochloric acid and enzymes, aids in the breakdown of food.

Reason (R) is true. Gastric muscular wall shows churning movements. The stomach has strong muscular walls that contract and relax in a churning motion. This churning action helps mix the ingested food thoroughly with the gastric juices, creating a semi-fluid mixture known as chyme. The mechanical churning, combined with the acidic environment, begins the process of breaking down complex food molecules into simpler forms.

(R) explains (A).