Question

Ptyalin is an enzyme of
a) Salivary juice
b) Pancreatic juice
c) Intestinal juice
d) None of the above

Answer 1

Ptyalin enzyme is also known as the alpha-amylase enzyme. They are helpful in breaking down the starch into simple compounds like maltose and dextrin which are further broken down in the small intestine where the majority of food digestion and absorption takes place.

Complete answer: Ptyalin is a digestive enzyme which is formed from the acinar cells present in the mouth. It is an enzyme that is released by the salivary glands along with the salivary amylase. It helps in the digestion of complex starch and sugar molecules present in the food. The salivary amylase helps in the lubrication of the food material present in the mouth so that it can travel easily in the esophagus. If there is the absence of the ptyalin enzyme then the process of digestion of starch and sugar would not occur leaving them undigested.

Additional information: Pancreatic juices consist of the alkaline enzymes which are essential for the digestion of the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in the meal. It produces enzymes involving trypsin, lipase, and amylase which are helpful in the digestion of food materials. Pancreatic juices are released from the pancreas using neural signals. Intestinal juices are secreted by the small intestine. The enzymes present in it are peptidase, sucrase, maltase, lactase, and intestinal lipase.

So, the answer is ‘salivary juice’.

Note: Enzymes are the molecules that help to increase the rate of a reaction. They work best in their optimum temperature and ph. The optimum temperature for the working of the ptyalin enzyme is 37 degrees and the ph. the range should be under 5.6-6.9.