Which enzyme breaks down fats?

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Multiple Choice

Which enzyme breaks down fats?

Explanation:
Enzyme specificity is at play here: fats, primarily triglycerides, are broken down by lipase. Lipase hydrolyzes the ester bonds in fats to yield free fatty acids and glycerol, with pancreatic lipase in the small intestine doing most of the work and bile salts helping by emulsifying fats to increase surface area. Amylase targets carbohydrates, while trypsin and other proteases break down proteins, so lipase is the enzyme that breaks down fats.

Enzyme specificity is at play here: fats, primarily triglycerides, are broken down by lipase. Lipase hydrolyzes the ester bonds in fats to yield free fatty acids and glycerol, with pancreatic lipase in the small intestine doing most of the work and bile salts helping by emulsifying fats to increase surface area. Amylase targets carbohydrates, while trypsin and other proteases break down proteins, so lipase is the enzyme that breaks down fats.

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