The extracellular digestion is a process by which cells use enzymes that they release to the environment in which they are found, to degrade external molecules mainly in order to access food sources or destroy specific cells or tissues.
Among the most important enzymes for extracellular digestion are those produced by lysosomes. Lysosomal enzymes such as proteases and other hydrolases allow the degradation of proteins, carbohydrates and other components that can be inside or outside the cell.
Usually the term extracellular digestion is used to refer only to the process that occurs outside the cells in the digestive tract of various multicellular animals. However, many microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi also carry out extracellular digestion processes..
In humans, extracellular digestion processes are carried out mainly in the intestine for the degradation of food sources.
For example, it has been found that the hydrolysis of starch to disaccharides and oligosaccharides is carried out in this way. Other multicellular organisms also carry out extracellular digestion processes in their digestive systems..
This is the case of bivalves, a species of mollusks that include oysters and clams. Bivalves can rapidly assimilate many sources of carbon by extracellular digestion that occurs in a pathway in their intestines..
Some single-celled organisms such as dinoflagellates of the genus Protoperidinium perform the extracellular digestion of algae and some organic compounds released by phytoplankton.
This characteristic evolved as an opportunistic food system and allows them to access food sources that they could not otherwise take advantage of..
One of the most common intracellular digestion processes is related to the destruction of living tissue. Extracellular enzymes are responsible for the processes of "self-destruction" that occurs in many organisms as a protection mechanism.
In humans, in addition to functions in the digestive system, extracellular digestion is manifested in the degradation of ovarian tissues in women.
Also in the destruction of old blood and skin cells for the constant regeneration of these tissues.
Extracellular digestion is also important in other organisms. An example of this is the regression process of the tadpoles' tails during their metamorphosis..
Other organisms like Microsporum canis they also use extracellular enzymes to break down molecules like keratin, elastin, and collagen.
Extracellular digestion is a process that has been used for biotechnological applications in industry. Among the most common applications is the degradation of recalcitrant biomass using fungi that release enzymes that degrade molecules such as lignin and cellulose..
This degraded biomass can be used for various fermentation processes that produce alcohol or other compounds of interest..
Other common applications are the use of extracellular digestion to help treat contaminated water sources and in phytoremediation processes..
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