What is the role of pepsin?

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Multiple Choice

What is the role of pepsin?

Pepsin is the stomach’s protease; its job is to start breaking proteins into smaller peptide fragments. It is released as an inactive form (pepsinogen) and is activated by the acidic environment of the stomach. Once active, pepsin cleaves peptide bonds within protein molecules, producing shorter polypeptides and peptides so that protein digestion can continue in the small intestine. This is specific to proteins and not carbohydrates or fats, and it doesn’t involve turning proteins into fatty acids or monosaccharides, nor does it activate pancreatic enzymes—that activation happens further along in the digestive tract. So the role of pepsin is to digest proteins into smaller amino acid chains (peptides) in the stomach.

Pepsin is the stomach’s protease; its job is to start breaking proteins into smaller peptide fragments. It is released as an inactive form (pepsinogen) and is activated by the acidic environment of the stomach. Once active, pepsin cleaves peptide bonds within protein molecules, producing shorter polypeptides and peptides so that protein digestion can continue in the small intestine. This is specific to proteins and not carbohydrates or fats, and it doesn’t involve turning proteins into fatty acids or monosaccharides, nor does it activate pancreatic enzymes—that activation happens further along in the digestive tract. So the role of pepsin is to digest proteins into smaller amino acid chains (peptides) in the stomach.

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