Final answer:
Starch is broken down into simple sugar units, with the enzyme amylase beginning this process in the mouth. The starch molecules, amylose and amylopectin, are composed of glucose units, and digestion turns these into glucose, a primary energy source for cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Starch breaks up into simple units called sugars. This process begins in the mouth, where an enzyme called amylase starts the digestion of starch by breaking it down into shorter chains. These shorter chains are further broken down into double units known as maltose, and then another enzyme breaks down the maltose into single units of glucose. Glucose is the most basic form of sugar that cells can utilize for energy.
Starch itself is composed of two types of molecules, amylose and amylopectin, which are both polymers of a-D-glucose units. Amylose is an unbranched coil with glycosidic linkages, while amylopectin is branched with a-1→4 linkages in its linear chains and a-1→6 at the branching points.
The digestion of carbohydrates such as starch is essential as it provides a primary source of energy for your cells. This digestive process transforms the long chains of carbohydrates from foods we eat into smaller sugar molecules that can be absorbed and utilized by the body.