Which enzyme aids in the digestion of fats?

• A. Amylase
• B. Secretin
• C. Lipase
• D. Trypsin

Answer: (C)

Fat digestion relies on lipase, the enzyme that breaks down triglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides. The pancreas releases pancreatic lipase into the small intestine, where bile salts emulsify fats to create a larger surface area for the enzyme to work; with the help of colipase, lipase digests the triglycerides that are in the emulsion. A smaller amount of lipase comes from the stomach (gastric lipase), but the major fat-digesting activity happens in the small intestine. The other substances serve different roles: amylase digests carbohydrates, trypsin digests proteins, and secretin is a hormone that stimulates bicarbonate-rich pancreatic juice rather than an enzyme that breaks down fats.