Which statement best describes the breakdown of food in the digestive system? carbohydrate digestion starts in the stomach and protein digestion starts in the stomach. carbohydrate digestion starts in the mouth and protein digestion starts in the stomach. carbohydrate digestion starts in the esophagus and protein digestion starts in the small intestine. carbohydrate digestion starts in the small intestine and protein digestion starts in the esophagus.

Question: Which statement best describes the breakdown of food in the digestive system? carbohydrate digestion starts in the stomach and protein digestion starts in the stomach. carbohydrate digestion starts in the mouth and protein digestion starts in the stomach. carbohydrate digestion starts in the esophagus and protein digestion starts in the small intestine. carbohydrate digestion starts in the small intestine and protein digestion starts in the esophagus.

The statement "carbohydrate digestion starts in the mouth and protein digestion starts in the stomach" best describes the breakdown of food in the digestive system. In the mouth, the process of carbohydrate digestion begins with the action of salivary amylase, an enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars. On the other hand, protein digestion primarily begins in the stomach, where the enzyme pepsin is secreted and begins to break down proteins into smaller peptide fragments.