Pepsin

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pepsin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the catalytic residues?Two aspartate residues (Asp32 and Asp215) in the active site
2. What is the related conditions?Associated with peptic ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
3. What is pepsin and what does it do in our stomach?Pepsin is an enzyme that helps break down food proteins into smaller pieces so our body can use them.
4. How does pepsin get activated in the stomach?Pepsin starts as an inactive form called pepsinogen. When the stomach becomes very acidic (pH below 5), pepsinogen turns into active pepsin.

Endopeptidase: An enzyme that cleaves peptide bonds within a protein chain, not at the ends.
Aspartic Protease: A class of proteases that use an aspartate residue in their active site for catalysis.
Zymogen: An inactive precursor form of an enzyme that requires cleavage or modification to become active.