Amylase is an enzyme that catalyses the digestion of starch to maltose.The digestion of starch starts in the mouth. Amylase is secreted in the saliva by salivary glands and works at a pH of about 7.Digestion of starch continues in the small intestine. Amylase is secreted by the pancreas into the small intestine.Amylase is part of a group of enzyme known as carbohydrases.In the ileum, maltose is broken down into glucose and absorbed into the blood stream.
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Specification: OCR Biology A (H020), AS-level, 2.1.4 Enzymes. Topic: Enzymes.
Key terms in this lesson
- carbohydrase
- An enzyme that catalyses the digestion, by hydrolysis, of carbohydrates into simpler sugars.