amylase
Sign in to saveAn amylase () is an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of starch (Latin '''') into sugars. Amylase is present in the saliva of humans and some other mammals, where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Foods that contain large amounts of starch but little sugar, such as rice and potatoes, may acquire a slightly sweet taste as they are chewed because amylase degrades some of their starch into sugar. The pancreas and salivary gland make amylase (alpha amylase) to hydrolyse dietary starch into disaccharides and trisaccharides which are converted by other enzymes to glucose to supply the
AI overview
Amylase is an enzyme found in human saliva and the pancreas that breaks down starch from foods like rice and potatoes into sugars. This enzyme starts the digestive process in your mouth, which is why starchy foods can begin to taste slightly sweet as you chew them.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Enzyme.Name
- Alpha-amylase
- Enzyme.EC_number
- 3.2.1.1
- Enzyme.CAS_number
- 9000-90-2
- Enzyme.GO_code
- GO:0004556
- Enzyme.image
- 2xfr b amylase.png
- Enzyme.caption
- Structure of barley beta-amylase. PDB
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Classification
- α-Amylase
- β-Amylase
- γ-Amylase{{anchor|Flatulence}}
- Uses
- Fermentation
- Flour additive
- Molecular biology
- Medical uses
- Scientific uses
- Other uses
- Hyperamylasemia
- History
- Evolution{{anchor|human evolution}}
- Salivary amylase
- References
An amylase () is an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of starch (Latin '') into sugars. Amylase is present in the saliva of humans and some other mammals, where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Foods that contain large amounts of starch but little sugar, such as rice and potatoes, may acquire a slightly sweet taste as they are chewed because amylase degrades some of their starch into sugar. The pancreas and salivary gland make amylase (alpha amylase) to hydrolyse dietary starch into disaccharides and trisaccharides which are converted by other enzymes to glucose to supply the body with energy. Plants and some bacteria also produce amylase. Specific amylase proteins are designated by different Greek letters. All amylases are glycoside hydrolases and act on α-1,4-glycosidic bonds.
==Classification==