Final answer:
The term referring to an enzyme that breaks down protein is a protease. Protease examples include pepsin, trypsin, elastase, and chymotrypsin, which aid in the catabolic process of digesting proteins into peptides. An example of a specific proteolytic enzyme is caseinase, an extracellular protease that degrades the milk protein casein.
Step-by-step explanation:
Enzymes Breaking Down Proteins
The term that refers to an enzyme that breaks down protein is protease. Enzymes like pepsin, trypsin, elastase, and chymotrypsin are examples of proteases, which play a crucial role in breaking proteins into peptides during digestion. This process is an essential aspect of catabolism, where larger molecules are broken down into smaller units, allowing the body to absorb nutrients and obtain energy. The production of extracellular protease caseinase, which degrades the milk protein casein, is one specific example of a proteolytic enzyme's function that can be used to identify certain microbial pathogens.
Moreover, caseinase is considered an extracellular protease because it breaks down proteins outside of the cell. It should be noted that the chemical digestion of protein in the human body involves various proteases, where enzymes such as pepsin and peptidase perform the hydrolysis of proteins in the digestive system. In contrast, some information, such as the statement that lipase starts chemical digestion by breaking down proteins in the mouth, is incorrect, as lipase targets lipids, not proteins.