What type of enzyme breaks up proteins and peptides?

The chosen answer identifies proteases as the enzymes that break down proteins and peptides into smaller amino acids or peptide fragments. This process, known as proteolysis, is crucial for various biological functions including digestion, metabolism, and cellular signaling.

Proteases can be found in various forms throughout the body, with different specificities and functions, such as digestive proteases in the stomach and small intestine that help break down dietary proteins, and intracellular proteases that regulate cellular function by modifying the activity of specific proteins.

In contrast, amylases are responsible for breaking down carbohydrates, lipases target lipids or fats, and carbohydrases also focus on carbohydrates. Understanding the specific functions of these enzymes is key to comprehending overall metabolic processes.