Amylase enzyme acts on the -

Options

A. Starch
B. Protein
C. Fat
D. Cane sugar

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Amylase:** Amylase is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in the digestive process. It is responsible for breaking down complex carbohydrates.

2. **Identifying the Substrate:** The primary substrate that amylase acts upon is starch, which is a polysaccharide made up of glucose units.

3. **Mechanism of Action:** Amylase catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch, which means it adds water to the starch molecules, breaking them down into simpler sugars, specifically maltose and eventually glucose.

4. **Types of Amylase:** There are two main types of amylase:
- **Salivary Amylase:** Secreted in the saliva, it begins the digestion of starch in the mouth.
- **Pancreatic Amylase:** Secreted by the pancreas into the small intestine, it continues the digestion of starch.

5. **Eliminating Incorrect Options:**
- Amylase does not act on proteins (which are broken down by proteases), fats (which are broken down by lipases), or sugars like sucrose (which is hydrolyzed by invertase).
- Therefore, the only correct answer is that amylase acts on starch.

6. **Conclusion:** Based on the above points, we conclude that the amylase enzyme acts on starch.

**Final Answer:** Amylase enzyme acts on starch.

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