The digestive glands are responsible for producing various digestive enzymes. The enzymes produced by the digestive glands are needed to help the process of digestion of food, so that it is more easily absorbed by the body.
In general, the process of digestion of food will be assisted by a group of enzymes produced by the digestive glands. These digestive enzymes play a role in breaking down the nutrients contained in food and converting them into simple forms, so that they can be absorbed by the body.
Various Digestive Glands
The following are the various glands that are included in the digestive glands:
1. Salivary glands
The main function of the salivary glands is to produce saliva. In addition to producing saliva, this gland also plays a role in producing digestive enzymes, such as lysozyme, lingual lipase, and amylase. Salivary glands are located in almost all parts of the mouth, starting from the top of the cheeks, under the lower jaw, and under the tongue.
2. Lbounce
Apart from being a place to accommodate food from the esophagus, the stomach also has another function, namely secreting enzymes that can help the digestive process. Digestive enzymes secreted by the stomach include pepsin, lipase, hydrochloric acid (HCI), and gastrin.
3. Kpancreas gland
The gland that also plays a role in producing digestive enzymes is the pancreas gland. Digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas include lipase, amylase, protase, and trypsin.
4. Usmooth milk
The small intestine also participates in secreting a group of enzymes that are useful for facilitating the process of breaking down food and helping the absorption of nutrients. Digestive enzymes produced by the small intestine are maltase, sucrase, and lactase.
5. Gallbladder
The bile glands also play an important role in the digestion of food. Although they do not produce digestive enzymes, the bile glands secrete hormones that are useful for helping the process of diluting fat in food.
Digestive Enzymes and Their Functions
In general, there are many enzymes that play a role in carrying out the process of digestion of food in the human body. However, there are three main enzymes that are in charge of breaking down food.
Here are the three main digestive enzymes you need to know about:
Amylase
Amylase is an enzyme whose job is to break down starch or carbohydrates into sugar (glucose). There are two types of amylase enzymes, namely ptyalin and pancreatic.
Ptyalin amylase is an enzyme secreted by the salivary glands to break down sugar while it is still in the oral cavity until it enters the stomach. Meanwhile, pancreatic amylase is an enzyme that is responsible for continuing the work of ptyalin by digesting sugar that enters the small intestine.
Lipase
Lipase is an enzyme that breaks down fats from the food you eat into fatty acids and glycerol. Lipase enzymes can be produced by the digestive glands in the mouth, stomach, and pancreas. Besides being produced by the digestive glands, lipase enzymes are also found in breast milk to make it easier for babies to digest fat molecules.
Protease
Protease is a digestive enzyme whose job is to break down protein in food into amino acids. Protease enzymes can be produced in the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine. However, some chemical reactions occur in the stomach and small intestine.
Without the help of enzymes produced by the digestive glands, food will not be able to be converted into energy that the body needs. Therefore, you need to take care of their health. Immediately consult a doctor if you experience digestive problems which may be caused by disturbances in the digestive glands in producing enzymes.