Carbohydrate Digestion
- Created by: meganbradfield1
- Created on: 12-03-16 15:33
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STARCH DIGESTION.
Amylase (produced in the mouth and pancreas) hydrolyses the alternate glycosidic bonds of the starch molecule to produce maltose (which is a disaccharide).
Maltose is then hydrolysed into alpha glucose (monosaccharide) by maltase (produced in the lining of the intestine).
The process of starch digestion in humans:
- Food is chewed, giving it a large surface area.
- Saliva mixes with food during chewing.
- Saliva contains salivary amylase (starts to hydrolyse starch into maltose). Salivary amylase also contains salts to help it maintain pH at neutral which is the optimum pH for salivary amylase.
- Food is swalloed and enters stomach --> stomach acid denatures amylase to prevent further hydrolysis of starch.
- Food is passed into small intestine --> mixes with pancreatic juice.
- Pancreatic amylase hydrolyses remaining starch to maltose. Alkaline salts are produced by pancreas and intestinal wall to maintain pH around neutral.
- Muscles in intestine wall push food along…
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