Final answer:
The pancreatic enzyme that digests triglycerides is pancreatic lipase, which works together with bile salts to break down fats into absorbable molecules.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pancreatic enzyme pancreatic lipase, anchored to the surface of an emulsification droplet by bile salts, which is also produced in the pancreas, digests triglycerides. Triglycerides are lipids, or fats, that consist of three fatty acid chains attached to a glycerol backbone. Pancreatic lipase breaks down triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol. This enzymatic activity works with the help of bile, secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, to emulsify or form smaller particles known as micelles within the watery contents of the duodenum, thus increasing the access of pancreatic lipase to the molecules. Emulsification is critical because it increases the surface area of the lipids, allowing the lipase to digest them more efficiently into components that can be readily absorbed into the intestinal lining.