What substance contains mucus, enzymes, and water and moistens food?

What substance contains mucus, enzymes, and water and moistens food?

• A. Saliva
• B. Gastric Juice
• C. Bile
• D. Blood

Answer: (A)

Saliva lubricates and begins digestion in the mouth. It contains mucus (glycoproteins) to coat and moisten food, water to dissolve flavors and help form a soft bolus, and enzymes such as salivary amylase to start breaking down carbohydrates. This combination makes swallowing easy and prepares the food for further digestion. Gastric juice can also contain mucus, enzymes, and water, but its role is in the stomach, not in the mouth. Bile is for fat digestion in the small intestine, and blood isn’t focused on moistening or enzymatic digestion of food in the mouth. So the substance described is saliva.

Saliva lubricates and begins digestion in the mouth. It contains mucus (glycoproteins) to coat and moisten food, water to dissolve flavors and help form a soft bolus, and enzymes such as salivary amylase to start breaking down carbohydrates. This combination makes swallowing easy and prepares the food for further digestion. Gastric juice can also contain mucus, enzymes, and water, but its role is in the stomach, not in the mouth. Bile is for fat digestion in the small intestine, and blood isn’t focused on moistening or enzymatic digestion of food in the mouth. So the substance described is saliva.