pancreatic amylase functions
Answers
Conversion of complex starch to simple forms of sugars called maltose
Amylase is a digestive enzyme that acts on starch in food, breaking it down into smaller carbohydrate molecules. The enzyme is made in two places. First, salivary glands in your mouth make salivary amylase, which begins the digestive process by breaking down starch when you chew your food, converting it into maltose, a smaller carbohydrate. When starchy foods like rice or potatoes begin to break down in your mouth, you might detect a slightly sweet taste as maltose is released. Cells in your pancreas make another type of amylase, called pancreatic amylase, which passes through a duct to reach your small intestine. Pancreatic amylase completes digestion of carbohydrate, producing glucose, a small molecule that is absorbed into your blood and carried throughout your body.