Digestive Enzymes

• What do enzymes do in the digestive system?

  They catalyze chemical reactions and speed them up
• What are enzymes made of?

  Large protein molecules
• What is the active site of an enzyme?

  It is where the substrate attaches
• What is a substrate in the context of enzymes?

  The molecule that the enzyme breaks down
• How does the lock and key theory relate to enzymes?

  Substrates must fit perfectly into the active site
• What type of enzymes break down proteins?

  Proteases
• Where are proteases found in the digestive system?

  In the stomach and pancreatic fluid
• What are proteins made of?

  Amino acids
• What happens to proteins during digestion?

  They are converted to individual amino acids
• What type of enzymes break down carbohydrates?

  Carbohydrases
• What is the specific enzyme that breaks down starch?

  Amylase
• Where is amylase found?

  In saliva and pancreatic fluid
• What is the structure of a lipid molecule?

  Glycerol and three fatty acids
• What enzyme digests lipids?

  Lipase
• What products are formed when lipids are digested?

  Glycerol and fatty acids
• Where is lipase found?

  In pancreatic fluid and small intestine
• What is the role of bile in lipid digestion?

  It emulsifies lipids to increase surface area
• Where is bile produced and stored?

  Produced in the liver, stored in gallbladder
• How does bile affect lipid digestion?

  It increases the rate of lipid breakdown
• What is the pH nature of bile?

  Bile is alkaline
• How does bile help in the small intestine?

  It neutralizes stomach acids for digestion
• What are the main enzymes involved in digestion and their functions?

  • Proteases: Break down proteins into amino acids
  • Amylase: Breaks down starch into simple sugars
  • Lipase: Digests lipids into glycerol and fatty acids
• What is the process of lipid digestion involving bile?

  1. Bile emulsifies large lipid droplets
  2. Increases surface area for lipase action
  3. Lipase breaks down lipids into glycerol and fatty acids
  4. Bile neutralizes stomach acids in the small intestine