noun
- A group of proteolytic enzymes found in the small intestine that break down peptides into amino acids.
Usage: biochemistry; plural form; singular is erepsin; largely historical term; modern biochemistry uses more specific enzyme names
Examples
- Erepsins are secreted by the intestinal mucosa to aid in protein digestion.
- The action of erepsins completes the breakdown of proteins that began in the stomach.
- Early biochemists identified erepsins as key enzymes in the final stages of digestion.
- Erepsins work on dipeptides and tripeptides to release individual amino acids.