Digestive Enzymes and Their Functions
Liver
1. Bile Salts: Emulsify fats, aiding in fat digestion and absorption.
Pancreas
1. Amylase: Breaks down starches into sugars.
2. Lipase: Breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
3. Proteases:
- Trypsin: Breaks down proteins into smaller peptides.
- Chymotrypsin: Breaks down proteins into smaller peptides.
- Carboxypeptidase: Breaks down peptides into amino acids.
4. Nucleases: Break down nucleic acids into nucleotides.
5. Elastase: Breaks down elastin and other proteins.
Stomach
1. Pepsin: Breaks down proteins into peptides.
2. Gastric Lipase: Breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
3. Rennin (Chymosin): Coagulates milk proteins (mainly in infants).
Small Intestine (produced by enterocytes)
1. Maltase: Breaks down maltose into glucose.
2. Sucrase: Breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose.
3. Lactase: Breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose.
4. Isomaltase: Breaks down isomaltose into glucose.
Digestive Enzymes and Their Functions
5. Dipeptidases: Break down dipeptides into amino acids.
6. Aminopeptidases: Break down peptides into amino acids.
7. Enterokinase (Enteropeptidase): Activates trypsinogen to trypsin.
Other Enzymes in the Digestive Process (from various sources)
1. Lingual Lipase (produced by salivary glands): Begins the digestion of fats in the mouth.
2. Salivary Amylase (produced by salivary glands): Begins the digestion of starches in the mouth.