Digestive Enzymes

These are all the digestive enzymes I observed in action on my trip through the digestive system.

-          Salivary amylase – Source gland is salivary glands, they promote the breakdown of carbohydrates in the mouth.  Specifically, starch into maltose.

-          Pancreatic amylase - Source gland is pancreas, works in the small intestine.  It promotes the same reaction as salivary amylase.

-          Proteases (pepsinogen, pepsin, trypsin)

-          Lipase – Splits bond between glycerol and fatty acids.  Source gland is the pancreas, and it works in the small intestine.  It digests fat droplets after they have been emulsified by bile salts.

-          Peptidase – Secreted by the small intestine, it functions as to breakdown protein to amino acids.

-          Maltase – Secreted by the small intestine, it functions as to breakdown maltose into glucose.

-          Nuclease – Splits bond between sugar and phosphate in RNA and DNA, secreted by the pancreas, and acts in the small intestine.