What are enzymes?: Enzymes are proteins that aid in digestion of food. The food that we eat cannot provide the required nutrition unless it is broken down into absorbable form. This breaking down of food is known as digestion. Different glands and organs in the digestive system secrete different enzymes to convert the food into absorbable form. Given below is the list of such enzyme and the functions carried out by them.
| Enzyme | Secreted by | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Salivary Amylase (Ptyalin) | Salivary Glands | Converts starch to maltose |
| Renin | Stomach | Converts milk proteins to peptides |
| Pepsin | Stomach | Converts other proteins to peptides |
| Gastric Amylase | Stomach | Converts starch to maltose |
| Gastric Lipase | Stomach | Converts butter fat into fatty acids and glycerol |
| Trypsin | Pancreas | Converts proteins to peptides |
| Chymotrypsin | Pancreas | Converts proteins to peptides |
| Steapsin (Pancreatic Lipase) | Pancreas | Converts fats into fatty acids and glycerol |
| Carboxypolypeptidase | Pancreas | Converts peptides into amino acid. |
| Pancreatic Amylase | Pancreas | Converts starch to maltose |
| Entirokinase | Small Intestine | Entirokinase activates trypsinogen to tryspsin. |
| Eripsin | Small Intestine | Converts polypeptides to amino acids. |
| Maltase | Small Intestine | Digests Maltose to glucose. |
| Sucrase | Small Intestine | Digests sucrose into glucose and fructose. |
| Lactase | Small Intestine | Digests lactose into glucose and galactose. |