The digestive enzyme produced by the pancreas that acts on carbohydrates is:

• A. Lipase
• B. Protease
• C. Nuclease
• D. Amylase

Answer: (D)

Pancreatic enzymes have substrates they work on, and this one specifically targets carbohydrates. Amylase breaks down starches into smaller sugar units like maltose and glucose, helping convert complex carbohydrates into absorbable pieces in the small intestine. This fits with the digestive system’s plan: carbohydrate digestion starts in the mouth with salivary amylase and continues in the gut with pancreatic amylase, assisted by brush-border enzymes to yield monosaccharides the body can absorb.

The other enzymes listed have different targets: lipase digests fats, protease digests proteins, and nuclease digests nucleic acids. So the enzyme produced by the pancreas that acts on carbohydrates is amylase.