Which enzyme breaks down carbohydrates into glucose?

Which enzyme breaks down carbohydrates into glucose?

• A. Amylase
• B. Lipase
• C. Protease
• D. Nuclease

Answer: (A)

Carbohydrate digestion begins with amylase, which hydrolyzes starch into smaller sugars such as maltose and dextrins. Those sugars are then converted to glucose by brush-border enzymes like maltase, so amylase kick-starts the process of breaking carbohydrates down toward glucose. The other enzymes target different macromolecules—lipase digests fats, protease digests proteins, and nuclease digests nucleic acids—so they don’t play a role in breaking down carbohydrates into glucose.

Carbohydrate digestion begins with amylase, which hydrolyzes starch into smaller sugars such as maltose and dextrins. Those sugars are then converted to glucose by brush-border enzymes like maltase, so amylase kick-starts the process of breaking carbohydrates down toward glucose. The other enzymes target different macromolecules—lipase digests fats, protease digests proteins, and nuclease digests nucleic acids—so they don’t play a role in breaking down carbohydrates into glucose.