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Q13-Do wild animals secrete enzymes in their stomach?
Most don't. Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) have three separate stomachs that secrete neither enzymes nor stomach acid. The question arises, how do these animals break down their food of seals and fish? One answer may be that the seals and fish may have their own enzymes and pancreatic juices in their GI tract. For example, when the whale swallows the seal, the digestive enzymes of the seal become the property of the whale. They are now its food enzymes and work for the benefit of the whale during the many days required to digest and empty the contents of his stomach. In addition, all animals have a proteolytic (protein) enzyme known as cathepsin, which is found in their muscles and organs, yet physiologists have never found any known digestive function of cathepsin while the animal is still living. After death, the animal's tissues become acidic, activating catheptic activity, which in turn, causes the breakdown of the cells and tissues of the animal. This might help explain why wild animals don't have enzymes or acid in their stomachs. |
