Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down which type of nutrient?

• A. Protein
• B. Nucleic acids
• C. Starch
• D. Lipase

Answer: (C)

Enzyme specificity in digestion means each enzyme targets a particular type of nutrient. Amylase specializes in breaking down starch, a carbohydrate, by hydrolyzing its glycosidic bonds into smaller sugars like maltose. This digestion begins in the mouth with salivary amylase and continues in the small intestine with pancreatic amylase, helping convert complex carbohydrates into absorbable sugars. Other enzymes handle other nutrients: proteases break down proteins, nucleases break down nucleic acids, and lipases break down fats. So the nutrient amylase acts on is starch.