What is the primary role of digestive enzymes?

The primary role of digestive enzymes is to break down complex molecules into simpler forms for absorption. This process is essential for digestion because the food we consume consists of large, complex molecules such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that cannot be directly absorbed by the body. Digestive enzymes facilitate the breakdown of these molecules into smaller components—amino acids from proteins, fatty acids and glycerol from fats, and simple sugars from carbohydrates—allowing for easier absorption in the intestines. Without these enzymes, our bodies would struggle to convert food into the energy and nutrients needed for various bodily functions.

Other options, while related to the overall process of digestion and bodily function, do not accurately describe the primary role of digestive enzymes. For instance, nutrient absorption is a subsequent step that occurs after the action of digestive enzymes has broken down the food. Similarly, transporting oxygen in the blood is primarily the function of red blood cells and hemoglobin, not digestive enzymes. Regulating blood sugar levels involves hormones like insulin, rather than enzymes involved in digestion.