Digestion of carbohydrates occurs in

Options

A. Buccal cavity
B. Stomach
C. Intestine
D. All the above

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Carbohydrate Digestion:**
- Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth, specifically in the buccal cavity.

2. **Digestion in the Buccal Cavity:**
- In the buccal cavity, the enzyme salivary amylase is secreted by the salivary glands.
- Salivary amylase acts on starch, breaking it down into maltose.
- Approximately 30% of starch is hydrolyzed in this stage.

3. **Digestion in the Stomach:**
- The stomach does not significantly contribute to carbohydrate digestion.
- There is very little activity of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes in the stomach, so the digestion here is minimal.

4. **Digestion in the Intestine:**
- The main digestion of carbohydrates occurs in the small intestine.
- The pancreas secretes pancreatic amylase into the small intestine, which further breaks down polysaccharides into disaccharides.
- The enzymes present in the intestinal lining (like maltase, lactase, and sucrase) convert disaccharides into monosaccharides:
- Maltose is converted into glucose.
- Lactose is converted into glucose and galactose.
- Sucrose is converted into glucose and fructose.

5. **Absorption:**
- The resulting monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, and fructose) are then absorbed in the jejunum and ileum regions of the small intestine.

6. **Conclusion:**
- Therefore, the digestion of carbohydrates occurs in the buccal cavity, stomach (to a very minimal extent), and primarily in the intestine. Hence, the correct answer is "all the above."

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