Enzymes in Digestion
Amylase, protease and lipase digest different foods.
About this topic
Digestive enzymes are specific. Amylase (saliva, pancreas) breaks starch into maltose, then maltase makes glucose. Proteases such as pepsin (stomach, acidic pH 2) and trypsin break proteins into amino acids. Lipase breaks fats into fatty acids and glycerol, helped by bile that emulsifies fat into droplets.
Each works at its own optimum pH and temperature. Products are small enough to be absorbed through the villi. Lactose intolerance occurs when lactase is lacking.
Bread left in your mouth tastes sweeter as amylase makes maltose. In the stomach, pepsin splits proteins into shorter chains, which trypsin and other proteases in the small intestine reduce to amino acids. Lipase breaks fats into fatty acids and glycerol, helped by bile, which is not an enzyme but breaks fat into droplets to give a bigger surface area.
Remember the matching: carbohydrase to sugars, protease to amino acids, lipase to fatty acids and glycerol. A common test uses Benedict's solution for sugars, iodine for starch, biuret for protein and the emulsion test for lipids. Students often think bile digests fat chemically; it does not. Also, enzymes in the stomach work in acid, but the small intestine is alkaline, helped by bicarbonate from the pancreas.
Key ideas
- Amylase: starch to sugar
- Protease: protein to amino acids
- Lipase: fat to fatty acids and glycerol
Quick check
Use cases: where Enzymes in Digestion helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Enzymes in Digestion before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Enzymes in Digestion without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Enzymes in Digestion changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Enzymes in Digestion in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Biology underpins medicine, farming, conservation and biotechnology.
Frequently asked questions
What is Enzymes in Digestion?
Amylase, protease and lipase digest different foods.
What will I learn in Enzymes in Digestion?
Amylase: starch to sugar. Protease: protein to amino acids. Lipase: fat to fatty acids and glycerol.
Is Enzymes in Digestion part of Biology?
Yes. It is one of 150 Biology topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Enzymes in Digestion lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Enzymes in Digestion?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.