Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam 2025 – The All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Salivary amylase plays a crucial role in the digestive process by specifically breaking down starches into simpler sugars. It is an enzyme produced by the salivary glands in the mouth, which initiates the process of carbohydrate digestion as food is chewed. When food mixes with saliva, salivary amylase begins to hydrolyze the starch molecules, transforming them into maltose and dextrins. This enzymatic action is essential because it facilitates the subsequent digestion and absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine.

Understanding the function of salivary amylase highlights the importance of the oral phase in digestion, where the mechanical breakdown of food and the chemical action of saliva begin the journey of nutrients through the digestive system. This knowledge underlines why the other options do not fit; salivary amylase is not involved in protein digestion, nutrient absorption, or food lubrication, but rather focuses specifically on starch breakdown.