Which enzymes are involved in protein digestion?

The involvement of specific enzymes in protein digestion is key to understanding the digestive process. The correct answer includes pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and carboxypeptidase, all of which play crucial roles in breaking down proteins into peptides and amino acids.

Pepsin is produced in the stomach and begins the digestion of proteins by cleaving them into smaller peptide fragments. This process occurs under acidic conditions, which are necessary for pepsin to function optimally. As the partially digested proteins move from the stomach to the small intestine, trypsin and chymotrypsin—both produced by the pancreas—continue the digestion process. Trypsin activates other digestive enzymes and further breaks down the peptides into shorter chains. Chymotrypsin similarly acts on the peptide chains to cleave them at specific sites.

Finally, carboxypeptidase, another enzyme from the pancreas, works at the end of the digestion process by removing the terminal amino acids from the peptide chain, leading to the formation of free amino acids that can be absorbed by the intestinal lining.

Hence, the inclusion of all four enzymes in this choice accurately reflects the enzymatic pathway for protein digestion, highlighting each enzyme's specific