Is Lactase An Enzyme? 9 Facts You Should Know

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Is lactase an enzyme, yes. Lactase is an enzyme that breaks or splits the carbohydrate molecule or commonly known as sugar molecule, lactose. Lactose sugar is available abundantly in milk products.

Lactose is a carbohydrate or sugar molecule found in milk and milk products. Many living beings, especially a few of the human beings (babies) can not take up or utilize the lactose sugar molecule from the milk as their system does not produce enough lactase enzyme to aid in the utilization process. So lactase is an important enzyme that is produced in almost every living being.

Is Lactase an enzyme?

Yes, Lactase is a lactose breaking enzyme that is naturally occurring in the body to digest or utilize the lactose sugar present in milk and milk products.

Why is lactase an enzyme?

Enzyme is a substance that is produced in a living being to break down or split any complex molecule and utilize them for any biochemical reaction.

Lactase is an enzyme because every component is referred or characterized based on their mode or mechanism of action. The primary working role of lactase is that they have the hydrolysing property.

Hydro means water and lyse means breakdown.

How is lactase an enzyme?

We just saw that lactase is a component that is produced in almost all living beings and they have hydrolysing properties.

Lactase is an enzyme that breaks open or splits the lactose sugar, thus aiding for the utilization process. Due to its hydrolysing property, lactase is considered as an enzyme.

What group of enzymes is lactase?

Enzymes are usually grouped into various categories based on their working mechanisms.

Lactase enzymes fall under the category of hydrolases group as they hydrolyse or break the sugar molecule for utilization.

The other class of enzymes include:

Oxidoreductases is the class of enzyme based on the oxidation reaction; Transferases is the class of enzymes that aid in the function group transportation; Lyases is the class of enzymes that eliminates the double bonds; Isomerases is the class of enzymes that changes the morphology of the molecule; Ligases is the class of enzymes that is involved in ligation process.

Where is the lactase enzyme found?

Lactase is mostly referred to as a digestive enzyme as it breaks the sugar molecule, lactose. Lactase enzyme is present in the gut- small intestines of the digestive system in a human body.

Functions of lactase enzyme:

  • The enzyme lactase is essential for breaking down lactose, a disaccharide
  • Milk constitutes the sugar molecule called lactose, which breaks down or splits into simpler carbohydrates called the  glucose and galactose.
is lactase an enzyme
Working of Lactase Enzyme
Image Credits: Wikimedia
  • The lactase enzyme splits the glucose-galactose bond so that glucose and galactose are obtained.
  • Furthermore, lactase plays a vital role in the body’s conversion of excess glucose into glycogen. Lactose cannot be broken down by the body, so glucose is used instead.
  • Moreover, lactase plays an important role in the sustainability of mucosal surfaces in the human body.
  • As a commercial product, lactase is used for the production of lactic acid, cheese, and yogurt.
  • In infant formula and other food products, lactase extracted from certain yeast is used to reduce lactose

Structure of lactase enzyme:

  • Lactase is produced by a gene on chromosome 2 in humans.
  • The first polypeptide or chain of amino acids that forms from this gene is pre-pro-lactase.
  •  There are 1,927 amino acids in pre-pro-lactase.
  • Lactase is then formed by converting the polypeptide into its mature form.
  •  Lactase is made up of multiple chains made up of four of the same subunits.
  • A total of 4092 amino acids are contained in each subunit.
  •  Since it has four identical subunits, lactase is a homotetramer molecule. 

Can lactase be a substrate?

We all know about the enzyme substrate relationship, substrate will be the main component and the enzyme will be a catalyst that aids in initiating or fastening any bio or chemical reactions or mechanisms.

Lactase being an enzyme, they can not be substrate. Enzymes are the catalyst in any bio or chemical or biochemical process or reactions.

Is lactase enzyme a protein?

All enzymes are proteins but all proteins are not enzymes.

Yes, all enzymes are made up of amino acids molecules, which eventually make up protein structure. So, yes lactase enzyme is a protein.

Conclusion

The above article discusses about the enzyme “lactase“. It includes their enzymatic property, the group or class of enzymes they belong, function, structure and the source of lactase enzyme. The article also summarizes on lactase being a protein and how they can not be used as a substrate in based on the enzyme substrate relationship.

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