Zymogen granules serve as storage and transport vesicles for inactive digestive enzymes. They ensure that these potent enzymes do not damage the cell that produces them. Upon receiving a stimulus, such as a hormonal signal, the granules undergo exocytosis, releasing their contents into the ducts of the pancreas or salivary glands. Once in the digestive tract, the zymogens are activated into their enzyme forms, such as trypsinogen into trypsin, which then actively participate in the digestion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
