Digestive enzymes are
enzymes that break down polymeric
macromolecules into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption by the body. Digestive enzymes are found in the
digestive tracts of animals (including humans) and in the traps of
carnivorous plants, where they aid in the
digestion of
food, as well as inside
cells, especially in their
lysosomes, where they function to maintain cellular survival. Digestive enzymes are diverse and are found in the
saliva secreted by the
salivary glands, in the stomach secreted by cells lining the stomach, in the
pancreatic juice secreted by pancreatic exocrine cells, and in the intestinal (small and large) secretions, or as part of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract.