Locate amylase secretion and action
Separate salivary and pancreatic sources from the regions receiving them.
Exam scope and assessment notes
Core and Extended · Biology 0970, 2026–2028. Use the stated specimen features and evidence. Diagrams are schematic. Written practice is self-checked; human subject-teacher review, supervised practical competence and cumulative assessment remain pending. Cambridge states that IGCSE 0970 has the same subject content as IGCSE 0610, with 9–1 grading. This StudyForA pathway maps the 2026–2028 syllabus only. This 9–1 graded qualification is available only in a limited number of administrative zones. Confirm that your centre can enter you for this code and exam series with Cambridge International. Cambridge has published a separate syllabus for 2029. StudyForA has not reconciled that version yet; this page supports exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028 only.
Before you begin
- Recall large and small nutrient molecules, cell membranes and enzyme specificity.
- Use the stated diagram keys and evidence; models are not to scale.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which organ secretes saliva containing amylase?
What you will learn
- Separate salivary and pancreatic sources from the regions receiving them.
- Explain why enzyme location alone does not prove its secretion source.
Two major sources in this model
Salivary glands secrete amylase into the mouth, where starch digestion begins. The pancreas also secretes amylase into the small intestine, where starch breakdown continues. The pancreas is the source organ, not the canal region where its secretion acts.
Amylase does not need to be made in every place where it acts. A secretion can travel through a duct before reaching its substrate. Trace the source → receiving region → substrate in the enzyme-site map.
Conditions matter after secretion
Salivary amylase may continue acting briefly in swallowed material, but stomach acid eventually inactivates it. Do not describe the acidic stomach as the principal amylase environment or the pancreas as a food-filled canal segment.
The simple school map uses mouth and small intestine as the main amylase action regions. It shows sources and action sites rather than all timing, flow and enzyme-concentration detail.
Pause and explain
Where does pancreatic amylase act?
Worked example
The pancreas releases amylase through a duct to the duodenum. State the secretion site and action region separately.
Show the worked solution
- Secretion source: pancreas.
- Receiving/action region: small intestine.
- Substrate: starch.
Answer Pancreatic amylase is secreted by pancreas and acts in the small intestine on starch.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Name the two major amylase secretion sources and their main action regions here.
Give me a hint
Use the source/action map.
Compare my reasoning
- Salivary glands → mouth.
- Pancreas → small intestine.
Salivary glands: mouth; pancreas: small intestine.
Look for these in your work
- Both sources.
- Both regions.
Correct “the mouth produces all amylase, and pancreatic amylase digests food inside the pancreas”.
Give me a hint
Separate associated glands and canal.
Compare my reasoning
- Salivary glands supply mouth.
- Pancreas supplies small intestine.
Salivary glands supply amylase to the mouth; pancreas supplies amylase to the small intestine.
Look for these in your work
- Both errors corrected.
- Food route remains separate.
A diagram gives only the label “amylase in duodenum”. Does it alone identify which organ made that enzyme?
Give me a hint
Action location does not by itself prove source.
Compare my reasoning
- Duodenum is the action location.
- The source requires the secretion map or further evidence.
The location shows where enzyme is present, not by itself its production source.
Look for these in your work
- Source/action distinction.
- Evidence limit.
Common mistakes
- Source and action site are separate columns.
- The acidic stomach is not the principal amylase site in this map.
What can you explain now?
Where does pancreatic amylase act?
Compare with the explanation
Small intestine.
It is delivered into that canal region.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Draw source, receiving region and substrate as three separate labels.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.