Once a protein source reaches your stomach, hydrochloric acid and enzymes called proteases break it down into smaller chains of amino acids. Amino acids are joined together by peptides, which are broken by proteases.

What is digestion broken down into?

In a nutshell, digestion involves breaking down large food molecules into water-soluble molecules that can be passed into the blood and transported to the body's organs. For instance, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, proteins into amino acids, and fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

What is it called when proteins are broken down?

Protein catabolism is the process by which proteins are broken down to their amino acids. This is also called proteolysis and can be followed by further amino acid degradation.