Question

The human mouth has an enzyme known as "salivary amylase" which is contained in the saliva; it is responsible for the breaking down of starch into sugar. Where else in the body, apart from the mouth, is this enzyme found?

A. The pancreas
B. The small intestine
C. The liver
D. The large intestines

Answer 1

Salivary amylase, found in saliva, initiates the breakdown of starch in the mouth, but this activity stops in the stomach due to acidity. The enzyme pancreatic amylase in the small intestine completes the digestion of starch into absorbable sugars.

Step-by-step explanation:

The enzyme salivary amylase, which is found in the saliva, is responsible for initiating the breakdown of starch into sugars like maltose and glucose. This process begins in the mouth as the enzyme starts to cleave the α-glycosidic linkages within starch, producing dextrins, maltose, and glucose. The activity of salivary amylase continues as the food travels down the esophagus but is halted in the acidic environment of the stomach, where the enzyme is inactivated. The digestion of carbohydrates is taken over by pancreatic amylase in the small intestine after the acidic stomach conditions have ceased. It is here in the small intestine where the breakdown of starch is completed, with amylose and glycogen being further degraded into simple sugars that can be absorbed by the body.