General Science Digestive System Flash Card Set 312259

Card 5 of 10
Mouth & Throat

Digestion begins in the mouth where the teeth and tongue break down food mechanically through chewing and saliva, via the enzyme salivary amylase, starts to break starches down chemically. From the mouth, food travels down the esophagus where contractions push the food into the stomach.

salivary amylase

Saliva breaks down starch via the enzyme __________.