Digestive enzymes

Digestive enzymes

Molecules that catalyze the breakdown of large molecules (usually food) into smaller molecules.

Mentioned in: Heartburn

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digestive enzymes (di·jesˑ·tiv enˑ·zīmz),

n.pl proteins that catalyze reactions between other chemicals by reducing the energy required for the reactions.

Digestive system.

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digestive

pertaining to digestion.

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digestive enzymes

include salivary (amylase), gastric (pepsin), pancreatic (trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase, lipase), small intestinal mucosa (carbohydrases including isomaltase, lactase, maltase, sucrase, trehalase).

digestive inoculant

administered mostly to neonates primarily to provide an inoculum of beneficial bacteria and protozoa essential to proper digestion and usually picked up from the environment. In many commercial products the irresistible temptation to include other materials, including dietary essential vitamins and minerals, clouds the effect of the inoculant, and may, as in iron poisoning in foals, cause disaster.

digestive system

the organs that have as their particular function the ingestion, digestion and absorption of food or nutritive elements. They include the mouth, teeth, tongue, pharynx, esophagus, stomach and intestines. The accessory organs of digestion, which contribute secretions important to digestion, include the salivary glands, pancreas, liver and gallbladder. Birds have an unusual system in that there are no teeth and no soft palate in most. There is a pregastric buffer, the crop; the stomach is separated into two organs, one secretory and one muscular, and the large intestine is replaced by a dual cecum. The rectum empties into a cloaca which is shared with the urogenital tract. The ruminant system is complicated by the presence of the forestomachs, the reticulum, rumen and omasum, and there are no upper incisor teeth. The peculiarities of horses are the greatly distended large intestine and the absence of a gallbladder.

digestive tract

the digestive system less the ancillary organs of salivary glands, liver and pancreas; the luminal organs through which food passes. See also alimentary canal.