Amylases catalyze the hydrolysis of starch into simple sugars such as maltose and glucose. They operate by cleaving the α-D-(1→4) glycosidic linkages in starch. There are two main types of amylases: α-amylase and β-amylase. α-Amylase breaks down long-chain carbohydrates, whereas β-amylase cleaves maltose units from the non-reducing end of the carbohydrate chain.