Which enzyme digests starch (a carbohydrate)?

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Multiple Choice

Which enzyme digests starch (a carbohydrate)?

Explanation:
Enzyme specificity in carbohydrate digestion is being tested. Starch is a carbohydrate made of long glucose chains, and the enzyme that breaks it down is amylase. Amylase cleaves the glycosidic bonds in starch, producing smaller sugars such as maltose and glucose that can be absorbed. This enzyme acts on carbohydrates, unlike the others listed: nucleases digest nucleic acids, proteases digest proteins, and lipases digest fats. In digestion, amylase starts work in the mouth and continues in the small intestine with pancreatic amylase, where brush-border enzymes finish breaking down the sugars to glucose ready for absorption.

Enzyme specificity in carbohydrate digestion is being tested. Starch is a carbohydrate made of long glucose chains, and the enzyme that breaks it down is amylase. Amylase cleaves the glycosidic bonds in starch, producing smaller sugars such as maltose and glucose that can be absorbed. This enzyme acts on carbohydrates, unlike the others listed: nucleases digest nucleic acids, proteases digest proteins, and lipases digest fats. In digestion, amylase starts work in the mouth and continues in the small intestine with pancreatic amylase, where brush-border enzymes finish breaking down the sugars to glucose ready for absorption.

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