[Jfalken]

So we have all been told that the parietal cells secrete HCl to the stomach yet I have yet to see a reaction formula that shows that H+ + Cl- --> HCl in the body.
All I ever see is protons being excreted into the lumen and that Cl- is there too.
But nowhere have I seen that HCl is actually formed.
To have solvatized ions in the lumen does not count as HCl as they are, as stated, solvatized.

Have I missed something here?
A rxn or similar?

[Babcock_Hall]

I think that the problem lies the interpretation of what it means to make HCl.  IMO, the presence of hydrogen ions and chloride ions counts as HCl, but YMMV.

[Borek]

Generally speaking there is no such thing as "HCl in water". It immediately dissociates into H⁺ and Cl^-, so any solution containing these two (from whatever source) is identical to the solution prepared by dissolving HCl in water.

This is not much different from other solutions. Imagine a solution that is 0.1 M in Na⁺, 0.1 M in K⁺, 0.1 M in Cl^- and 0.1 M in Br^-. Is it a solution of 0.1 M NaCl and 0.1 M KBr, or 0.1 M NaBr and 0.1 M KCl? Or perhaps neither and the question about which salts are dissolved doesn't make much sense, as it is ions present that matter, not the way the solution was made?

[Jfalken]

If I take water, and I put NaCl into it so I get the chloride ions in the water and then I add protons (from any random source), then according to your definition I should have HCl containing solution because there are Cl ions and an excess of protons..
I do not really agree with you here.
If textbooks wants to say that we PRODUCE HCl acid then I want to see a reaction mechanism showing that HCl is formed.
If the protons originates from a different source, and the chloride ions originate from a source of its own, then one can not simply say that it is HCl acid..

[Borek]

I do not really agree with you here.

Two people pointed you to a flaw in your line of thinking, if you don't accept it - your choice.

But you won't get better answer.

[Corribus]

Generally speaking there is no such thing as "HCl in water".

Right. This was a great articulation of where the problem lies, Borek.