Where in the human body will chemical digestion begin?

Chemical digestion, the breakdown of food by enzymes, begins in the oral cavity with the action of salivary amylase on starches. Once the food reaches the stomach, it encounters gastric juice, which contains hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin. The hydrochloric acid creates an acidic environment that kills microorganisms and denatures proteins, making them more susceptible to enzymatic breakdown. Pepsin, an aspartic protease, initiates protein digestion by breaking down proteins into smaller peptides.