Which human digestive enzyme secreted by gastric glands digests proteins into smaller peptides in an acidic medium?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Pepsin is the primary gastric enzyme secreted by chief cells in the stomach as inactive pepsinogen, which hydrochloric acid activates to split dietary proteins into peptides. Alternatives like trypsin function in the alkaline medium of the small intestine, and amylase breaks down carbohydrates rather than proteins.