Describe the process of carbohydrate digestion.

Mastication breaks down food into smaller chunks increasing the surface area for digestive enzymes to work on, and making it easier to swallow the food. The salivary gland secretes amylase which hydrolyses starch into smaller molecules called maltose. The food moves down the oesophagus due to peristaltic muscle movement. No carbohydrate digestion occurs in the stomach because of the high acidity which denatures amylase. The bolus moves into the small intestine which secretes maltase. Bile is formed in the liver and is secreted into the small intestine also in order to neutralise stomach acid. The maltase hydrolyses maltase into glucose monomers, which are small enough to be absorbed into the blood stream.