Lactase acts on lactose. Which two monosaccharides does it release?
AGlucose and galactose
BGlucose and glucose
CGlucose and fructose
DFructose and galactose
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Glucose and galactose
1. Three brush border enzymes split the common disaccharides into monosaccharides.
2. Lactase breaks lactose, the milk sugar, into one glucose and one galactose.
3. Sucrase splits sucrose into fructose and glucose, so that pairing belongs to a different enzyme.
4. Maltase breaks maltose into two glucose molecules, which is why the glucose pair is wrong here.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 23 "The Digestive System", section 23.7 Chemical Digestion and Absorption: A Closer Look_
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