Cervical spine fractures can occur secondary to exaggerated flexion or extension, or because of direct trauma or axial loading. Pathology. The cervical spine is susceptible to injury because it is highly mobile with relatively small vertebral bodies and supports the head which is both heavy and acts as a lever.
The inactive molecule pepsinogen is cleaved in a strongly acidic environment to give off the active enzyme, pepsin. Pepsinogen is produced in the stomach by chief cells.
1 Pepsinogen, which is converted to pepsin, which digests proteins. 2  Pepsinogen production is stimulated by the presence of gastrin in the blood. 3  Hydrochloric acid (HCl) converts pepsinogen to pepsin which breaks down proteins to peptides. 4  HCl maintains a pH in the stomach of approximately 2.0.