• An enzyme of the hydrolase class that catalyzes the reaction of triacylglycerol and water to yield diacylglycerol and a fatty acid anion. It is produced by glands on the tongue and by the pancreas and initiates the digestion of dietary fats. (From Dorland, 27th ed) EC 3.1.1.3.
  NLM Medical Subject Headings
  U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
• An enzyme secreted by the pancreas that helps the body break down fats.
  Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
  Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
• Lipase; an enzyme secreted in the digestive tract that catalyzes the breakdown of fats into individual fatty acids that can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
  NCI
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• Non-EC general term; note that individual lipid hydrolases have not been treed under this term.
  CRISP Thesaurus
  National Institutes of Health, 2006
• Lipase is produced by the pancreas, liver, intestine, tongue, stomach, and many other cells. Lipase testing is indicated in acute pancreatitis, as well as in the diagnosis of peritonitis, strangulated or infarcted bowel, and pancreatic cyst.
  Medscape
  WebMD, 2025