Biology Digestion/Nutrition MDCAT 2016
PMDC Verified Question 40 of 48
Digestion of ____ starts in oral cavity due to the action of enzyme present in saliva.
A
Starch
B
Fatty Acids
C
Cellulose
D
Polypeptides
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option A: Starch
Concept:

The chemical digestion of carbohydrates begins in the mouth, facilitated by the enzyme salivary amylase (ptyalin).

Formula:

N/A

Solution:

  • Salivary glands secrete saliva, which contains the enzyme salivary amylase.
  • This enzyme specifically targets the glycosidic bonds in complex carbohydrates like starch and glycogen, breaking them down into shorter polysaccharides and maltose.


Why other options are incorrect:

Fatty acids do not require digestion (they are already simple), cellulose is entirely indigestible by human enzymes, and polypeptide digestion begins in the stomach via pepsin, not the oral cavity.

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

Previous Question All Digestion/Nutrition MCQs Next Question

Want to solve full-length papers under timed exam conditions?

Practice with zero-scroll lockdown sprints, dynamic latency zone timers, live peer selection telemetry, and the automated Amber mistake recovery loop.

Enter Arena Sprint iOS App Android App