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Question

If salivary amylase is lacking in the saliva, which of the following events in the mouth cavity will be affected?

A
Proteins breaking down into amino acids.
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B
Starch breaking down into sugars.
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C
Fats breaking down into fatty acids and glycerol.
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D
Absorption of vitamins.
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Solution

The correct option is B Starch breaking down into sugars.
Hint - Digestion of food starts from the mouth itself because of the presence of salivary amylase in saliva.

Part 1 - Structure of starch
  • Starch is a heteropolysaccharide made up of two chains - Amylose and Amylopectin.
  • Amylose is made up of straight-chain polymer of αD Glucose and Amylopectin is made up of branched-chain polymer of αD Glucose.

Part 2 - Action of Salivary amylase
  • The salivary amylase is secreted by the salivary glands (like - Parotid gland, Sublingual gland, and Sub-maxillary gland).
  • It acts on the α14 linkage present in amylose and amylopectin.
  • Thus, break the starch by producing small chain polysaccharides and disaccharides like α-Dextrin and Maltose.

Part 3 - Conclusion
  • Salivary amylase cannot act upon the breakdown of proteins, fats, and the absorption of vitamins.
  • Salivary amylase can only digest the starch into smaller sugar molecules.
  • Thus, if salivary amylase is not present in the saliva then the starch digestion in the mouth would not take place.

Final step - If salivary amylase is lacking in the saliva, only starch breakdown will be affected.

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