Which enzyme breaks down fats?

Which enzyme breaks down fats?

• A. Amylase
• B. Protease
• C. Pepsin
• D. Lipase

Answer: (D)

Fats are digested by lipase, the enzyme that hydrolyzes triglycerides into glycerol and free fatty acids. The pancreas is the main source of pancreatic lipase released into the small intestine, where fat digestion occurs. Bile salts from the liver emulsify fats, increasing their surface area so lipase can act more effectively. Lipase works best in the small intestine’s alkaline environment and often requires co-factors like colipase to function amid bile. For comparison, amylase targets carbohydrates such as starches, while proteases like pepsin target proteins (pepsin specifically in the stomach). Since their substrates are not fats, they don’t perform fat digestion. Thus, the enzyme that breaks down fats is lipase.

Fats are digested by lipase, the enzyme that hydrolyzes triglycerides into glycerol and free fatty acids. The pancreas is the main source of pancreatic lipase released into the small intestine, where fat digestion occurs. Bile salts from the liver emulsify fats, increasing their surface area so lipase can act more effectively. Lipase works best in the small intestine’s alkaline environment and often requires co-factors like colipase to function amid bile.

For comparison, amylase targets carbohydrates such as starches, while proteases like pepsin target proteins (pepsin specifically in the stomach). Since their substrates are not fats, they don’t perform fat digestion. Thus, the enzyme that breaks down fats is lipase.