Question

Many digestive enzymes are hydrolases which carry out hydrolysis. What do these enzymes have in common?

A. They break down carbohydrates.
B. They break down proteins.
C. They use water to break chemical bonds.
D. They are produced in the brain.

Answer 1

The commonality among hydrolases, a type of digestive enzyme, is that they all use water to break chemical bonds, facilitating the digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Step-by-step explanation:

Many digestive enzymes are hydrolases which carry out hydrolysis. These enzymes have the common function that they use water to break chemical bonds in various macromolecules during digestion. For instance, enzymes like amylase, sucrase, lactase, and maltase are specialized in breaking down carbohydrates, whereas proteases such as pepsin and peptidase break down proteins together with hydrochloric acid, and lipases act on lipids. This process is essential as it simplifies complex molecules into smaller ones, allowing for efficient nutrient absorption in the intestine and providing energy for cellular activities.