Amylase Enzyme Generated By What? - Digestive Enzymes

What is amylase? Understanding amylase is an enzyme produced by the pancreas and salivary glands that catalyze the hydrolysis of starch into sugars. The amylase enzyme is present in human saliva and some other mammals, where it begins the digestive chemical process. Foods containing large amounts of starch but a little sugar, such as rice and potatoes, can get a little sweetness when chewed because the amylase enzyme lowers some starch into sugar. The amylase enzyme is produced by the pancreas and salivary glands to hydrolyze starch food into disaccharides and trisaccharides that are converted by other enzymes into glucose to produce body energy.

What is the function of enzyme amylase?
Once the food comes into your mouth, it means immediately begin the process of digestion. Food needs to be broken down into smaller nutrients so the body can store or use it. Your body produces special enzymes that work to digest the various foods you consume. Amylase enzymes are produced by saliva and pancreas that break down carbohydrates into smaller molecules.

During digestion, carbohydrates begin as polysaccharides, which are large starch molecules that are broken down into disaccharides, which are the two associated sugar molecules. Disaccharides are then broken down into even smaller simple sugars, known as monosaccharides which are then absorbed into the blood so that the body can then use them. As you begin to chew, food is mechanically broken down into smaller pieces. You also produce saliva, which contains the amylase enzyme that mixes with the food you eat. The amylase enzyme is an enzyme activating enzyme and which hydrolyzes or destroys starch into a monosaccharide. Amylase breaks starch in your mouth into maltose and disaccharide, which consists of two glucose molecules.

As you swallow, carbohydrate digestion continues in your stomach because the chewed food is mixed with the amylase enzyme. Your stomach does not produce additional amylase enzymes. Your stomach contains a stomach fluid that works to digest other nutrients in your diet. The amylase enzyme that enters the food you chew continues to break down starch into maltose. From the stomach, the food is then passed to the small intestine where the digestion continues.

As food passes through the digestive system, it is broken down into smaller molecules before the body can use them as energy. The amylase enzyme is also produced by the pancreas that is released into the duodenum. The amylase enzyme produced here breaks the rest of the polysaccharides and disaccharides into monosaccharides, which complement the carbohydrate digestion. Glucose and monosaccharides are the result of digestion by carbohydrates. In the small intestine, glucose is then absorbed into the blood to be used by the body for energy. Your body uses glucose as a fuel for all your body processes.

Amylase enzymes are present in your blood in small amounts, this is normal. If your pancreas is injured, inflamed or blocked, more amylase enzymes are released into the blood than duodenum, resulting in elevated serum amylase levels. Blood tests may know, diagnose or monitor pancreatic problems. High blood-related amylase health problems include acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic pseudocysts, or blockage of channels that carry amylases from the pancreas to the small intestine or gallstones. Symptoms usually associated with pancreatic abnormalities may include abdominal pain, nausea, fever or loss of appetite.