Digestive Enzymes

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by: vitanet1
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Word Count: 505
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 Time: 6:08 AM
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Humans, as well as animals, eat food. This is very vital for their survival. When humans eat, they take in the food; chew on it, then swallow. But you may be surprised to know that munching on your food is not enough for it to be digested. That is where the enzymes, specifically the digestive ones, take charge. Digestive enzymes are proteins which aids in the breakdown of large food particles. These digested food particles will need to undergo different processes for it to be eventually absorbed within our body to be used later on as energy for the cells. For nearly every one of the many and varied chemical reactions that occur in a living cell, there is a specific enzyme. Digestive enzymes are scattered all over the digestive tract. They are also found together with the salivary glands. They are in our saliva which helps in the breakdown of food particles.

Digestive enzymes play a big role in the in fundamental energy generating processes, such as the breakdown of sugar and the formation and breakdown of energy storehouse molecule which is the adenosine triphosphate (ATP). A molecule that undergoes a certain process with the participation of an enzyme is called a substrate for that enzyme. In the process of catalysis or the breaking down of molecules, the substrate molecule then becomes attached to the enzyme, and then a breaking and forming of chemical bonds occur. The product of the reaction then is released from the enzyme. The product is itself a substrate since all enzyme reactions are reversible. However, in many enzymatic reactions, the point of equilibrium or balance is greatly affected and it may favor the certain product and the reversal of this reaction may be really difficult to detect.
It will be extremely difficult not to have the aid of your digestive enzymes. Without them, all food that you take in would be nothing but futile. Merely taking in food is not enough to supply the needed nutrients and energy that your body needs. They need to be catalyzed in order for your body to be able to absorb them. Only very small food particles can pass through the cell wall of the intestine for use by your body tissues. Thus, many foods must need to break down first before they are actually absorbed. The enzyme found in the stomach is called the pepsin. This enzyme is the one who catalyzes the hydrolysis of proteins. The pancreas also secretes a number of powerful digestive enzymes towards the intestine. These include trypsin, and chymotrypsin, which both acts on the breakdown of proteins. There is also what you call lipase which acts on the fats, and amylase which acts on the starches.

Given the information that you have read above, you can now firmly attest the fact that digestive enzymes are indeed important in the normal processes of the human body. Without them, human bodies would not be able to function the way they are expected to.

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