Question

Amylase was shown to work best at a pH of 7 in comparison to a pH of 2. If the stomach juices have a pH of 2, what do we know about the function of salivary amylase within the stomach?

1) Salivary amylase will not function properly in the stomach
2) Salivary amylase will function optimally in the stomach
3) Salivary amylase will be completely inactive in the stomach
4) Salivary amylase will function better in the stomach than at a pH of 7

Answer 1

Salivary amylase functions optimally at a pH of 7, and since the stomach's pH is 2, which is highly acidic, the enzyme will not function properly and is likely to be deactivated.

Step-by-step explanation:

The function of salivary amylase within the stomach is influenced by the pH level. Given that salivary amylase works best at a pH of 7 and the stomach has a pH of 2, it is evident that salivary amylase will not function properly in the stomach. The highly acidic environment will lead to a decline in amylase activity, resulting in hydrolysis and deactivation of this enzyme as the production of HCl and the activation of pepsinogen to pepsin takes place.