What is Enzyme?


Enzymes are a kind of protein generated by all living organisms that operate as a biological catalyst. It speeds up chemical processes and turns a given set of reactants into a specific set of products.


Enzymes are biological polymers or catalysts that may catalyze a biochemical process. Digestive enzymes break down polymeric compounds into smaller building components.


For example, during digestion, amylase, protease, lactase, and lipase are the enzymes present in the small intestine. An enzyme in saliva called amylase begins to break down into maltose. 


Digestive enzymes are secreted by :

a> salivary glands-salivary amylase and lipase
b> stomach - pepsin, 
c> pancreas-trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase, lactase, etc  
d> small intestine- enterokinase. 

The main functions of these enzymes are to help digest major constituents of our food like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats so that they can be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream.

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Updated on: 31-Mar-2023

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