What are digestive enzymes?

digestive enzymes are proteins that catalyze the decomposition of large food molecules. They break them into smaller pieces that can be easily absorbed by cells. In humans, such digestive substances are produced by salivary glands and in the digestive tract. Proteases, amylase and lipases are some types of these enzymes. As a result, the salivary glands are stimulated to produce saliva that contain the form of amylase. This enzyme is also known as ptyalin .

salivary amylase acts on starches that consist of a long chain of glucose molecules. Breaks this string into smaller fragments. Finally, he degrades them to even smaller pieces. The final product is a unit of two glucose molecules known as fructose . It is then divided and metabolized as glucose in the intestines. Glucose then enters the housing circulation, known as the level of blood sugar

Only part of the starch is degraded in the mouth. The rest travels to the stomach with Bolus. The saliva amylase is active for a short time until it ise inactivated by the acid pH of the stomach. Most starch is degraded there by amylase produced by the pancreas.

Proteins are another major part of human diet and there are a number of different digestive enzymes that break them. Such enzymes are known as proteases . They differ in their preferred substrates, location and properties. Some are active in the stomach like Pepsin. Others, such as trypsin and chymotrypsin, are produced by pancreas and act in the intestine.

One of the elements that all these proteases have in common is that they are synthesized as a larger form that is inactive. This is to prevent body tissues. However, if they are needed for real digestion, digestive enzymes are activated by breaking part of the protein. After activation, they break the proteins into smaller fragments called polypeptides . Enzymes called peptidases then degrade smaller pieces nand amino acids that are absorbed by the intestine and are used to replenish acids secreted as urea or are used in cellular metabolism.

Diet fats are degraded by enzymes called lipase , which are also produced by pancreatic. These digestive enzymes decompose fat drops into fatty acids and glycerol . To be successful, this reaction requires bile salts from the liver that helps to mix fat with a liquid solution in the intestinal tract. It is essential that the fat is mixed in small droplets to be degraded properly. This occurs as a result of contractions in the intestines.

Pankriteas also produces a number of other digestive enzymes, and is the main gland involved in digestion. It also creates nucleases that degrade RNA and DNA to their individual components. In addition to trypsin and Chymotrypsin, it produces several other proteases. This includes carboxypeptidase and aminopeptidase that also helps in the digestion of proteins by removing their thermiNal amino groups.