The digestion of food involves the body's used of enzymes to assist in breaking down organic compounds. The following chart illustrates the amount of time necessary for protein digestion in varying conditions.
Digestion Rates of Protein
Reaction / Seconds
Protein only 60
Protein + Acid 30
Protein + Acid + Enzymes 10
This chart provides evidence that enzymes
A. Slow down in chemical reactions
B. Dissolve in water
C. Maintain a specific pH
D. Speed up chemical reactions
D. Speed up chemical reactions
The chart provided gives information about the digestion rates of protein in different conditions. By comparing the different times required for protein digestion in these conditions, we can draw conclusions about the role of enzymes in the process.
In the first condition, where protein is being digested alone, it takes 60 seconds for digestion to occur. When acid is added to the protein, the digestion time decreases to 30 seconds. Finally, when both acid and enzymes are present, the digestion time further reduces to 10 seconds.
Based on this information, we can conclude that enzymes play a crucial role in speeding up the digestion of protein. In the presence of enzymes, the digestion time is significantly reduced compared to when proteins are digested alone or in the presence of acid alone. From this, we can infer that enzymes are responsible for accelerating the breakdown of proteins.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. Enzymes speed up chemical reactions.