MP Board · Class 10 · Science · Life ProcessesWhat is the role of saliva in the digestion of food?

Saliva plays a very crucial and fundamental role in the digestion of food inside the human body. First, it moistens and lubricates the chewed food, which helps in forming a slippery mass called a bolus, making it much easier to swallow smoothly down the esophagus into the stomach. Second, and most importantly, saliva contains an important digestive enzyme known as salivary amylase or ptyalin. This specific enzyme chemically acts upon complex carbohydrates, specifically starch, and breaks it down into simpler sugars such as maltose. Thus, the chemical digestion of food practically begins right inside the oral cavity through the continuous secretion and action of saliva produced by the salivary glands.