What it means
Enzymes make the body's chemistry fast enough to sustain life. Digestive enzymes such as amylase, lipase and pepsin break down food. Some enzymes leak into the blood when cells are damaged, so blood tests for them help find injury: cardiac troponin (a protein, not an enzyme, but tested in the same way) for the heart, liver enzymes (ALT, AST) for the liver, and lipase for the pancreas.
At a glance
| Spanish | enzima |
|---|---|
| Also written | enzymes, enzyme's, enzyme’s |
Related terms
pancreas
A long, flat gland behind the stomach that makes digestive enzymes and the hormones insulin and glucagon.
digestion
The process of breaking food down into small parts the body can absorb and use.
metabolism
All the chemical processes in the body's cells that make energy, build tissue and break substances down.
liver
A large organ in the right upper abdomen that processes nutrients, makes bile and clotting factors, and clears drugs and toxins from the blood.