Which enzyme is primarily responsible for protein digestion?

The enzyme primarily responsible for protein digestion is protease. Proteases, also known as peptidases or proteinases, are enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of proteins into smaller peptides or amino acids by hydrolyzing the peptide bonds that link amino acids together. This process begins in the stomach with pepsin and continues in the small intestine with various other proteases, such as trypsin and chymotrypsin.

Understanding the function of proteases is crucial because they play a vital role in digestion, metabolism, and various physiological processes, including cellular signaling and immune responses. This makes them essential in the conversion of dietary protein into absorbable units, thereby facilitating nutrition absorption and utilization within the body.

In contrast, amylase is involved in carbohydrate digestion, lyase is known for cleaving chemical bonds without hydrolysis, and catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. These enzymes serve specific functions that are different from the role of proteases, thereby highlighting the specialized nature of enzymatic functions in digestion.