noun
- plural of pepsin; digestive enzymes produced in the stomach that break down proteins into smaller peptides
Usage: biochemistry; physiology
Examples
- The stomach secretes pepsins to help digest protein-rich foods.
- Different pepsins work optimally at various pH levels in the digestive system.
- Scientists studied how pepsins break down meat proteins during digestion.
- The activity of pepsins decreases when stomach acid levels are too low.
- Researchers isolated several pepsins from gastric juice for their experiment.
- Medical students learned about the role of pepsins in protein metabolism.