Question

Describe the digestive role of chymotrypsin. What two other digestive enzymes of the same category are secreted by its source gland?

Answer 1

The enzyme trypsin (present in the pancreatic juice) activates the inactive enzyme chymotrypsinogen into chymotrypsin.

$Chymotrypsinogen\stackrel{Trypsin}{\to }Chymotrypsin\left(Inactive\right)\left(Active\right)$

The activated chymotrypsin plays an important role in the further breakdown of the partially-hydrolysed proteins.

$Proteins\stackrel{Chymotrypsin}{\to }Peptides$

The other digestive enzymes of the same category are trypsinogen and carboxypeptidase. These are secreted by the same source-gland, pancreas. Trypsinogen is present in an inactive form in the pancreatic juice. The enzyme enterokinase – secreted by the intestinal mucosa – activates trypsinogen into trypsin.

$Trypsinogen\stackrel{Enterokinase}{\to }Trypsin+Inactivepeptide$

The activated trypsin then further hydrolyses the remaining trypsinogen and activates other pancreatic enzymes such as chymotrypsinogen and carboxypeptidase. Trypsin also helps in breaking down proteins into peptides.

$Proteins\stackrel{Trypsin}{\to }Peptides$

Carboxypeptidases act on the carboxyl end of the peptide chain and help in releasing the last amino acids.

$Peptides\stackrel{Carboxypeptidase}{\to }Smallpeptidechain+Aminoacids$