The pancreas not only helps your body turn food into energy, it also helps your body digest food. The pancreas excretes enzymes via a duct connected to the hepatopancreatic sphincter that releases its contents into the duodenum of the small intestine. As food travels into your stomach then passes through to your small intestine it is greeted by a group of enzymes and zymogens that break it down. These are three classification of enzymes secreted by the pancreas that work to digest carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Lipase
Lipase is one of the enzymes found in the pancreatic juice, a mixture of water, enzymes and sodium bicarbonate excreted by the pancreas. Lipase is released into your small intestine during digestion. This pancreatic enzyme works to digest fat so that it can be absorbed by the body.
Amylase
Pancreatic amylase is another enzyme found in pancreatic juice. Amylase is released into the small intestine to break down starch. Although starch digestion begins inside the mouth, through salivary amylase, it ceases inside the stomach, so it must continue in the small intestine. With the help of pancreatic amylase, starch is fully digested and can be absorbed for use as energy.
Zymogens
Inside the pancreatic juice are also substances known as zymogens. These are the precursors to the enzymes that break down protein. When the zymogens enter your pancreas, an enzyme known as enterokinase, which is excreted by the brush border cells of the small intestine, converts the zymogens into their usable enzymatic form.
Protein Digesting Enzymes
The zymogens chymotrypsinogen, procarboxypeptidase and trypsinogen are converted into the enzymes trypsin, chymotrypsin and carboxypeptidase. Their primary function once inside the small intestine is to break down the peptide bonds of proteins. Trypsin and chymotrypsin break down proteins into their smallest form. Carboxypeptidase finishes up the job by breaking off the carboxyl group from the end of the proteins.
References
- "Anatomy and Physiology"; Kenneth S. Saladin; 2004
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Lipase; June 6, 2009
