Which statement best describes the role of pancreatic enzymes in digestion?

Which statement best describes the role of pancreatic enzymes in digestion?

• A. They aid digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
• B. They digest only proteins
• C. They digest only sugars
• D. They have no role in digestion

Answer: (A)

Pancreatic enzymes are responsible for breaking down the three main nutrients we eat—fats, proteins, and carbohydrates—into absorbable forms. In the small intestine they act on different substrates: lipase digests fats into fatty acids and glycerol; pancreatic amylase breaks down starches into simpler sugars; proteases such as trypsin and chymotrypsin cleave proteins into shorter peptides and amino acids. This broad range explains why the statement that they aid digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates is the best answer: pancreatic enzymes collectively handle all three major macronutrients, unlike options that claim they act only on proteins, only on sugars, or have no role in digestion.

Pancreatic enzymes are responsible for breaking down the three main nutrients we eat—fats, proteins, and carbohydrates—into absorbable forms. In the small intestine they act on different substrates: lipase digests fats into fatty acids and glycerol; pancreatic amylase breaks down starches into simpler sugars; proteases such as trypsin and chymotrypsin cleave proteins into shorter peptides and amino acids. This broad range explains why the statement that they aid digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates is the best answer: pancreatic enzymes collectively handle all three major macronutrients, unlike options that claim they act only on proteins, only on sugars, or have no role in digestion.