Video Transcript
Which group of digestive enzymes
does amylase belong to? (A) Carbohydrases, (B) nucleases,
(C) proteases, or (D) lipases.
You may recall that cells in living
organisms produce four major types of biological molecule. These are carbohydrates, nucleic
acids, proteins, and lipids. Digestive enzymes can be divided
into groups based on which type of biological molecule they help to digest. Carbohydrases catalyze the
breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars. Nucleases catalyze the breakdown of
nucleic acids into their component nucleotides. Proteases catalyze the digestion of
proteins into amino acids. And lipases catalyze the breakdown
of lipids into fatty acids and glycerol.
This question is asking us about
the enzyme amylase. Amylase is produced by the pancreas
and salivary glands and is responsible for catalyzing the digestion of starch into
maltose and glucose. Starch is a carbohydrate, and
maltose and glucose are simple sugars. Therefore, amylase must be a
carbohydrase.
We have deduced that the correct
answer to the question is (A). Amylase belongs to the group of
digestive enzymes known as the carbohydrases.
