Which enzyme is active in the mouth during digestion, according to the material?

Which enzyme is active in the mouth during digestion, according to the material?

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

Answer: (D)

In the mouth, the chemical digestion that occurs is mainly driven by salivary enzymes, with the primary one being salivary amylase. This enzyme cleaves the alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds in starch, starting its breakdown into maltose and dextrins right in the oral cavity as you chew. The other options don’t play a major role in mouth digestion: lipase targets fats (and while there is some lipase in saliva, it isn’t the main digestive enzyme there); nuclease would break down nucleic acids, which aren’t a primary substrate in typical meals; protease targets proteins, but significant protein digestion begins in the stomach with pepsin and continues later in the small intestine. Therefore, amylase is the enzyme actively working in the mouth during digestion.

In the mouth, the chemical digestion that occurs is mainly driven by salivary enzymes, with the primary one being salivary amylase. This enzyme cleaves the alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds in starch, starting its breakdown into maltose and dextrins right in the oral cavity as you chew. The other options don’t play a major role in mouth digestion: lipase targets fats (and while there is some lipase in saliva, it isn’t the main digestive enzyme there); nuclease would break down nucleic acids, which aren’t a primary substrate in typical meals; protease targets proteins, but significant protein digestion begins in the stomach with pepsin and continues later in the small intestine. Therefore, amylase is the enzyme actively working in the mouth during digestion.