Question

What is a non-digestive enzyme? Name such enzymes released into the intestine and give its role.

Answer 1

In the stomach there are several digestive enzymes released during digestion. These digestive enzymes break down complex food molecules into simpler ones. For doing so, the digestive enzymes need to be activated by certain enzymes or signals that have non-digestive works in the stomach.

Complete answer: Enzymes are molecules that speed up the reaction rate of a metabolic process like digestion. All enzymes are not involved in the digestion process. Several digestive enzymes released in the stomach and intestine during digestion are trypsin, lipase, pepsin, etc. These enzymes need some cofactors or activating factors that stimulate them to perform their work. Non-digestive enzymes are those that help in the activation of the inactive digestive enzymes during the process of digestion. They act as cofactors or activating factors for the digestive enzymes to work properly. One such non-digestive enzyme is enterokinase, which is released in the intestine during digestion. Its function is to activate the digestive enzyme trypsin. The enterokinase first activates the trypsinogen, which then converts into trypsin. Trypsin then helps in protein digestion by breaking the complex protein molecules into simple peptide molecules. Similarly for lipase to function properly, colipase non-digestive enzyme is required along with bile salts. Lipase converts fats into fatty acids which are easy to be absorbed by the intestine.

Note: Along with digestive and non-digestive enzymes, the digestion process employs the role of hormones, mucus, and chemicals to stabilize the effect of hydrochloric acid. Digestion occurs in the mouth, stomach, small intestine and the large intestine.