What do you propose happens to salivary amylase as it moves from the mouth to thestomach?

Salivary amylase is an enzyme produced in the salivary glands that aids in the breakdown of carbohydrates, specifically starch, into simpler sugars. Here's what happens as it moves from the mouth to the stomach:

1. Salivary amylase is secreted into the mouth when we eat. It begins the process of digestion by breaking down starch in the food into maltose, a simpler sugar.

2. As the food is swallowed, it moves down the esophagus and into the stomach. The salivary amylase continues to act on the starch in the food during this process.

3. Once the food reaches the stomach, the environment becomes highly acidic due to the secretion of gastric juices, which include hydrochloric acid.

4. The acidic environment in the stomach denatures the salivary amylase, causing it to lose its shape and functionality. This means it can no longer break down starch.

5. The process of carbohydrate digestion is then taken over by other enzymes further down in the digestive tract, such as pancreatic amylase in the small intestine.

So, in summary, salivary amylase starts the digestion of starch in the mouth and continues to work until it reaches the stomach, where it is denatured and deactivated by the acidic gastric juices.