Final answer:
The nutrient-enzyme pairs are pepsin for proteins, nuclease for nucleic acids, lipase for fats, lactase for lactose, and amylase for starch and carbohydrates. Amylase is found in saliva and also secreted by the pancreas, while lactase is specific for lactose in milk. Pepsin functions in the stomach, and nuclease and lipase are primarily produced by the pancreas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of digestion involves the breakdown of food by various enzymes. Each enzyme is responsible for breaking down a specific type of nutrient. To match the nutrient with their associated digestive enzyme:
- Pepsin is involved in the digestion of proteins in the stomach.
- Nuclease is an enzyme that helps digest nucleic acids and is produced by the pancreas.
- Lipase is involved in the chemical digestion of fats; it can be produced in the stomach, but most fat-digesting enzymes are produced by the pancreas.
- Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose, a sugar found in milk, into glucose and galactose.
- Amylase, which is present in saliva and secreted by the pancreas, helps to digest starch and other carbohydrates into simpler sugars.