12 Key Digestive Enzymes present in Human Digestive System.

The digestive enzymes work tirelessly, breaking down our meals into nutrients, fueling our bodies, and maintaining our overall health. They’re the invisible workforce, ensuring that whatever you eat is efficiently processed and utilized. The significance of these enzymes is often overlooked, but without them, our body’s ability to absorb nutrients would be severely compromised. Join me as I explore the vital role these digestive enzymes play and discover how they contribute to the remarkable machinery that is your digestive system.

What are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up the process of breaking down complex food particles into simpler components. These enzymes are produced by various organs in the digestive system, such as the salivary glands, the stomach, the pancreas, and the small intestine.

Each enzyme has a specific job of breaking down a specific kind of food. For example, proteases break down proteins, lipase breaks down fats, and amylase and sucrase break down carbohydrates.

Various types of Digestive Enzymes

Many enzymes in our body help us digest food. Each enzyme has a specific job and works on a different type of food. For example, amylase, produced in the mouth and pancreas, breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars. Proteases, such as pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and carboxypeptidases produced in the stomach, and pancreas, break down proteins into amino acids.

Lipase, produced in the pancreas and small intestine, breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Other enzymes, such as sucrase, lactase, and maltase, are responsible for breaking down various types of sugars in our diet.

Now, let’s explore 12 important Digestive Enzymes found in our digestive system in more detail.

1. Salivary Amylase

Place of production: Salivary glands.
Site of Release: Mouth.
Function: Salivary Amylase helps begin the process of digestion by breaking down starches and complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars inside our mouth.

Digestive_enzymes_produced_by_salivary_glands

2. Pepsin

Place of production: Chief Cells of the stomach.
Site of Release: Stomach.
Function: Pepsin has an important job in the stomach. It helps to break down proteins into smaller pieces called peptides and amino acids.

Pepsin is produced in an inactive form called pepsinogen. It becomes active when it comes into contact with acidic conditions in the stomach.

3. Gastric Lipase

Place of production: Chief Cells of the stomach
Site of Release: Stomach
Function: Its primary role is to assist in the breakdown of fats into smaller molecules, specifically triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol.

Even though it contributes less compared to pancreatic lipase, gastric lipase is important in the overall digestion process, especially for babies who depend on it significantly to digest breast milk.

4. Trypsin

Place of production: Pancreas.
Site of Release: Small intestine.
Function: It plays a vital role in the digestion of proteins by breaking them down into smaller fragments or amino acids.

Trypsin is produced as trypsinogen, an inactive enzyme that is activated upon reaching the small intestine.

5. Chymotrypsin

Place of production: Pancreas.
Site of Release: Small Intestine.
Function: It helps in breaking down proteins. Chymotrypsin cuts peptide bonds by targeting aromatic amino acids like phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine.

Chymotrypsin is produced in the pancreas in an inactive form known as chymotrypsinogen, and it becomes active in the small intestine.

6. Carboxypeptidase

Place of production: Pancreas.
Site of Release: Small Intestine.
Function: Carboxypeptidase breaks a peptide bond at the carboxyl (C-terminal) end of a protein or peptide. Thus, aiding in the digestion of proteins.

7. Pancreatic Lipase

Place of production: Pancrease.
Site of Release: Small intestine.
Function: It plays a crucial role in the digestion of dietary fats by breaking down complex fat molecules into simpler fatty acids and glycerol.

Pancreatic lipase, also known as pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase.

8. Pancreatic Amylase

Place of production: Pancreas.
Site of Release: Small Intestine.
Function: Its primary function is to facilitate the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, such as starch and glycogen, into simpler sugars like glucose, which the body can easily absorb.

9. Nucleases

Place of production: Pancreas.
Site of Release: Small Intestine
Function: These enzymes help in breaking down nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, into nucleotides (their component).

10. Maltase

Place of production: Intestinal Wall.
Site of Release: Small Intestine
Function: As the name suggests, breaks down maltose (a type of sugar) into glucose that our bodies can use.

11. Lactase

Place of production: Enterocytes Cells In Intestinal walls.
Site of Release: Small Intestine
Function: Lactase is responsible for breaking down lactose, the sugar present in milk, into glucose and galactose.

People with lactose intolerance lack this enzyme, leading to digestive issues when they consume dairy products.

12. Sucrase

Place of production: Intestinal Wall
Site of Release: Small Intestine
Function: It breaks down sucrose, a common sugar, into glucose and fructose.

digestive_enzymes_produced_by_small_intestine

Importance of Digestive Enzymes for Health

Digestive enzymes are very important for our health. They make sure that the food we eat is properly broken down and the nutrients are efficiently absorbed. A deficiency or imbalance of these enzymes can lead to digestion problems and malnutrition, as the body is unable to extract and absorb nutrients from the food.

In addition to aiding digestion, enzymes also have a role in preventing diseases. Some enzymes have anti-inflammatory properties and can help to reduce inflammation in the body. This is important as chronic inflammation is linked to various health conditions, including heart disease and cancer.

Moreover, enzymes are involved in the regulation of our gut microbiota. A healthy gut microbiota is essential for our overall health as it helps in digestion and nutrient absorption.

Read more: 11 Algae that are Used as Human Food.

So, now you have learned about the 12 key digestive enzymes present in the human digestive system. That’s all for now, I’ll see you in my next article. Continue reading, exploring, and sharing your knowledge, and most importantly, stay curious. 🙂