Final answer:
The main function of salivary and pancreatic amylase is to digest polysaccharides into smaller carbohydrates, not to lubricate food or help with the absorption of fats.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main function of salivary and pancreatic amylase is to digest polysaccharides to smaller carbohydrates. Hence, the correct answer to the student's question is option (c). Amylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch into sugars. In the mouth, salivary amylase breaks down starch as part of the chemical digestion initiated by saliva. The process continues in the small intestine with pancreatic amylase, which further breaks down the carbohydrates to smaller molecules like maltose and glucose. These simpler sugars are then ready to be absorbed by the intestinal lining.
The role of salivary and pancreatic amylase is not to lubricate foods, help absorb fats, digest monosaccharides, nor digest polypeptides to amino acids. These functions are served by other components in the digestive system, such as mucus for lubrication and enzymes like lipase and protease for fat digestion and protein hydrolysis, respectively.