1. What are protein substances of the digestive system that speed up metabolic reactions and break food down?

An enzyme is a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body. Digestive enzymes speed up chemical reactions that break down large food molecules into small molecules.Digestive enzymes are released, or secreted, by the organs of the digestive system. These enzymes include proteases that digest proteins, and nucleases that digest nucleic acids.Amylase, produced in the mouth. It helps break down large starch molecules into smaller sugar molecules.

Pepsin, produced in the stomach. Pepsin helps break down proteins into amino acids.

Trypsin, produced in the pancreas. Trypsin also breaks down proteins.

Pancreatic lipase, produced in the pancreas. It is used to break apart fats.

Deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease, produced in the pancreas. They are enzymes that break bonds in nucleic acids like DNA and RNA.