Poultry Judging Practice Test

In birds, which part of the digestive tract produces the enzyme pepsin?

1. Crop

2. Proventriculus

3. Ventriculus

4. Intestines

The correct answer is: Proventriculus

The proventriculus is the correct part of the digestive tract in birds that produces the enzyme pepsin. The proventriculus functions as the glandular stomach, where initial digestion occurs before the food passes into the ventriculus, or gizzard. In the proventriculus, digestive enzymes including pepsin are secreted, which plays a crucial role in breaking down proteins into smaller peptides. This enzymatic activity helps in the effective digestion of food, making nutrients more accessible for absorption later in the digestive process. The proventriculus also secretes hydrochloric acid, which is important for creating an acidic environment that activates pepsinogen (the inactive precursor of pepsin) and aids in the overall digestion of food. While the crop is primarily responsible for storing food, the ventriculus is an organ that mechanically breaks down food particles, and the intestines are involved in nutrient absorption, neither of these structures have the enzymatic producing capabilities of the proventriculus regarding pepsin. Thus, the role of the proventriculus in protein digestion and enzyme production makes it the correct answer.