OK, here we go...
Hello...
This is a crosspost...
ME and another..friend,
are involved in a little dispute over the nature of enzymes,
hopefully you folks at bionet can help us setle it?
The argument is this...
OK, We are arguing about the stomach,
basically, the role of enzymes, focusing on pepsin,
pepsin require an acidic environment to operate,
my friend concludes that the acid actually breaks down the protein,
and that pepsin acts as a catalyst to this process,
and that this is the primary role of the hydrochloric acid in our stomachs..
I, however, claim that the primary role of this acid is a defence mechanism
against, er, antigens?
And that, while the acid *may* slightly digest protein,
the enymes actually stress the proteins, and speed up a natural breakdown
process,
a process that DOESN'T require acid,
However,
the enzyme itself, pepsin,
Does require an acidic envronment to operate,
but the acid does not actually break down the protein...
( as a pure guess, I would suggest this could be a defence mechanism, to
make pepsin more "safe" ? )
Now, put simply,
Who would be the victor is such an argument? :>
Thank-you...
