Digestive enzymes in the gut include proteases which digest

Digestive enzymes in the gut include proteases, which digest proteins. Why don’t these enzymes digest the stomach and small intestine, which are partially composed of protein?

Solution

Proteases are the enzymes that digest the proteins. The proteins that enter the body through the diet are digested in stomach and small intestine.

1. Stomach:

2. Small intestine:

Hence, the proteases that are secreted in the digestive tract are first produced in their inactive forms to prevent auto digestion of the walls of stomach, and small intestine, which are partially composed of proteins.