Lactase

Lactase (or β-galactosidase) is the enzyme () involved in the hydrolysis of lactose to galactose and glucose. In humans, it is produced in the digestive tract. Deficiency of the enzyme causes lactose intolerance; most deficiency states are probably not due to defects in the lactase gene, but to mutations in the MCM6 gene.

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Lactase has an optimum temperature of about 48 ?C for its activity and an optimum pH of 6.5. In humans, the gene is localised on the second chromosome (2q21).

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Enzyme: An enzyme (from Greek ?nsimo (??????), formed by ?n = at or in and simo = leaven or yeast) is a protein that catalyzes, or speeds up, a chemical reaction....

Hydrolysis: Hydrolysis is a chemical process in which a molecule is cleaved into two parts by the addition of a molecule of water....

Lactose: Lactose is the sugar making up around 2-8% of the solids in milk. The name comes from the Latin word for milk, plus the -ose ending used to name sugars. Lactose is a disaccharide consisting of two subunits, a galactose and a glucose linked together. Its empirical formula is C12H22O11 and its molecu...