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The breakdown of complex carbohydrates into glucose is completed in the small intestine during digestion. What protein acts as a catalyst to speed up the reaction?

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Final answer:

The breakdown of complex carbohydrates into glucose is completed in the small intestine during digestion. The protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up this reaction is amylase.

Step-by-step explanation:

The breakdown of complex carbohydrates into glucose is completed in the small intestine during digestion. The protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up this reaction is amylase. Amylase is found in saliva, pancreatic juices, and in the brush border of the small intestine. It breaks down complex carbohydrates such as starch and glycogen into simpler sugars like glucose, which can then be absorbed by the small intestine.

User Rajeesh
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Answer:

Amylase is the protein which acts as a catalyst to break complex carbohydrates. Sucrase breaks sucrose into glucose and fructose molecules.

Step-by-step explanation:

The digestion of carbohydrates starts the earliest in the mouth. Mechanical digestion takes place in the mouth.

When food in the form of chyme, enters in the small intestine from the stomach, the pancreas secrete pancreatic juice. The pancreatic juice is rich in the enzyme, amylase. The enzyme amylase breaks down complex carbohydrates and starch into simpler sugars. Sucrose is converted into glucose and fructose by the enzyme sucrase.

User Elzell
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