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Nutrition in Human Beings

CBSE: Class 10

Definition: Saliva

A digestive fluid secreted by salivary glands that moistens food and contains the enzyme salivary amylase to break down starch is called saliva.

CBSE: Class 10

An enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch (a complex carbohydrate) into simple sugars is called salivary amylase.

CBSE: Class 10

In humans, nutrition takes place through the alimentary canal, a long tube from mouth to anus, where different parts help in digestion.
In the mouth, food is chewed and mixed with saliva which contains an enzyme (salivary amylase) that starts breaking down starch into sugar.
In the stomach, food is mixed with gastric juices (acid, pepsin, and mucus) that help digest proteins and kill germs.
In the small intestine, food is completely digested with the help of juices from the liver (bile) and pancreas (pancreatic enzymes), and nutrients are absorbed by villi into the blood.
The large intestine absorbs water from the remaining food, and the waste is removed from the body through the anus.

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