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Enzymes: Chew on This!
Carbohydrates in food are an important source of energy for the body. Starch is a complex carbohydrate (polysaccharide) found in plants like potatoes and grains (rice, wheat, corn, etc.). When you eat starch, it must be broken down into simple sugars, also known as monosaccharides, before your body can use it for energy. To perform the reactions that break down starches into sugars, your body uses enzymes called amylases, which are found in your saliva and small intestine.
In this Biograph Virtual Lab you will use a simulation to explore the breaking down of starch into sugar that begins in your mouth (when you eat something) and is completed in the small intestine. The simulation will enable you to compare and contrast the conversion of starch to sugar both with and without enzymes. This will help you understand the role of enzymes in digestion.
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