What are the individual functions of digestive enzymes?
Saliva begins carbohydrate digestion with the enzyme SALIVARY AMYLASE. Stomach’s epithelial cells secrete Gastric juices and HCl making the pH around 2. Pepsin is an enzyme used to partially hydrolyze protein. Pepsin is released in an inactive form Pepsinogen. The pepsinogen reacts with HCl to form pepsin. The hormone gastrin is secreted by the stomach cells to regulate the production of gastric juices. Most hydrolysis of macromolecules occur in the small intestine. As the acid chyme enters the duodenum (first 25 cm of the small intestine) a hormone called secretin is released from the intestinal walls to siginal the pancreas to release a bicarbonate solution which neutralizes the acid. The hormone CHOLECYSTOKININ (CCK), is released from the intestinal cells causing the gall bladder to release bile. It also causes the pancreas to release its digestive enzymes. The hormone ENTEROGESTRONE is also secreted to slow down peristalsis. Protein Digestion: Trypsin and Chymotrypsin are enzymes t
